L  JL/  Jt>  x\  A   JiXx  v  J*  K!^  i 


HEf'f 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 


AUTHOR  OF 


THE   NAKED  TRUTH,"   "  His  FOSTER  SISTER," 
"A  NEW  SENSATION,"  "  WHY  I'M  SINGLE," 
"  His  PRIVATE  CHARACTER,"  ETC. 


NEW    YORK: 

eoprmaHT,  im,  er 

G.    W.   Dillingham    Co.,    Publishers. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PACE 

I.  Victor  Loses  his  Temper          .  .      9 

II.  "  She  wears  a  ring  I  gave  her  "  .     19 

III.  Father  and  Daughter        .         .  .27 

IV.  Tramping  in  California     .        .  .36 
V.  "  You'll  be  like  Marian  "  .    44 

VI.  Jakey  and  the  "  Cirkis  "   .         .  .55 

VII.  "  It  was  Elsie  at  the  gate  "       .  .    £5 

VIII.  A  New  Comer  to  the  Ranch     .  t     75 

IX.  "  You  jest  let  Else  alone  !''        .  .     84 

X.  A  Business  Matter    .        .        .  .92 

XI.  **  There  was  another,  I  think,  a  son  ?"  loo 

XII.  Mr  Sewall  Talks  to  Marian      .  .109 

XIII.  A  Face  at  the  Window     .         .  .117 

XIV.  "  He  killed  the  guards!"  .        .  .126 
XV.  Brother  and  Sister    .        .        .  .134 

XVI.  "Shall  I  go?"  he  asked     .         .  .144 

XVII.  A  Startling  Superscription        .  .  153 

XVIII.  "You  can't  stop  folks  talking  .  .   163 

XIX.  Miss  Felton  Begins  her  Task    .  .  173 

XX.  "  Escaped  !  Thank  God  !"        .  .  181 

XXI.  Mr.  Gardner  Goes  too  Far       .  .  191 

XXII.  Oscar  Felton  Takes  Back  Water  .  200 


6  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  tAGM 

XXIII.  "  I  refuse  to  be  driven!"  .        .  .209 

XXIV.  Uncontrollable  Impulse?          .  .  217 
XXV.  Victor  Makes  a  Proposition     .  .  226 

XXVI.  "  My  wife  needs  no  defense  *'    .  .  236 

XXVII.  The  Bird  Takes  Flight     .        .  .245 

XXVIII.  "  Dat's  a  gal,  de  worl'  over  1"  .  .255 

XXIX.  An  Assault  on  the  Old  Barn    .  .  264 

XXX.  Some  Newspaper  "  Scoops  "    .  .  274 

XXXI.  "  Kindly  examine  these  papers  "  .  284 

XXXII.  An  Elaborate  Confession          .  .  294 

XXXIII.  An  Austrian  Baroness      .         .  .301 

XXXIV.  "  May  I  speak,  your  honor  ?"   .  .  309 
XXXV.  A  Change  of  Venue         .        .  .  319 


TO  MY  READERS. 


Doubtless  it  is  due  to  the  fact  that  my  first  novel  had 
such  an  extraordinary  success  that  I  have  confined  my 
subsequent  writings  so  largely  to  the  same  stupendous 
theme.  Occasionally,  however,  I  have  gone  outside  that 
path,  particularly  in  "Speaking  of  Ellen"  and  "His  Fos- 
ter Sister,"  and  an  over-indulgent  public  has  shown  no 
diminution  of  its  kindness. 

In  the  following  pages  I  have  once  more  experi- 
mented in  the  field  of  mystery,  and  particularly  in  that 
of  conscience.  If  my  efforts  prove  satisfactory  I  may 
extend  them  further  along  these  lines. 

During  the  past  nine  months,  while  travelling  in  the 
islands  of  the  Pacific,  and  particularly  in  Japan,  I  have 
planned  a  novel  which  shall  introduce  some  of  the 
strange  and  fascinating  scenes  through  which  I  am 
passing.  I  hope  by  next  July  to  present  you  with  such 
a  volume,  but  I  dare  make  no  promises.  I  have  found 
that  an  author's  pen  takes  fancies  of  its  own,  which  he 
cannot  always  control. 


8  TO   MY  READERS. 

I  have  been  astonished  and  gratified  to  discover  that 
my  readers  reach  even  to  these  shores,  as  I  found  them 
by  the  Adriatic  and  the  Caribbean.  With  fervent 
wishes  for  a  happy  New  Year  to  all, 

I  am,  as  ever,  your  friend, 

Shanghai,  Nov.,  1899.  ALBERT  Eoss. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 


CHAPTER  I. 

VICTOR  LOSES  HIS  TEMPER. 

VICTOR  HALL,  aged  22,  stood  in  the  office  of  Cyrus 
Keith,  attorney-at-law,  in  the  presence  of  that  gentle- 
man, and  gave  way  to  a  violent  exhibition  of  temper. 
They  were  good  friends  and  the  ill-feeling  of  the 
young  man  was  not  directed  at  the  lawyer  but  at  a 
thirdperson  not  present.  Victor's  usually  clear  brow  was 
ruffled  and  his  dark  eyes  glittered  from  between  their 
half-closed  lids.  With  his  hat  tipped  back  on  his  well- 
shaped  head  and  both  hands  deep  in  his  trousers  pock- 
ets, he  ground  his  white  teeth  together  and  looked  as 
if  he  would  like  to  strike  somebody  with  the  fists  that 
moved  -nervously  in  their  receptacles. 

"That's  your  opinion,  is  it?"  he  cried,  breathing 
heavily.  "  You  believe  as  a  matter  of  law  that  Dick 
Morse  can  hang  on  to  my  property,  whether  I  like  it 
or  not,  and  if  he  steals  the  whole  of  it  before  his  time 
runs  out  I  have  no  redress  whatever!  " 

Mr.  Keith  responded  in  a  composed  tone  that  this 

f9] 


IO  STRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 

was  a  fairly  accurate  statement  of  the  decision  at  which 
he  had  reluctantly  arrived. 

"  When  your  father  died,  Victor,"  he  said,  in  a  grave 
voice,  "  he  left  his  entire  estate  to  your  mother,  know- 
ing- that  she  would  use  whatever  she  thought  right  on 
your  maintenance  and  education.  It  probably  never 
entered  his  head  that  she  would  so  soon  leave  you  an 
orphan.  When  she  learned  that  her  time  was  short  she 
made  her  own  will,  as  she  had  a  perfect  legal  right  to  do, 
and  tied  up  the  property  in  a  way  she  believed  best  for 
you.  She  provided  that  you  were  to  receive  the  in- 
come only  until  you  reached  the  age  of  thirty  years, 
and  that  Mr.  Morse  was  to  act  as  trustee  without  giv- 
ing bonds  for  the  faithful  performance  of  his  duties. 
The  same  sort  of  testament  is  made  every  day.  Morse 
accepted  the  position  and  has,  up  to  this  time,  carried 
out  the  stipulations  of  the  will.  Deducting  a  reason- 
able charge  for  his  services  he  has  paid  over  to  you 
various  sums  from  time  to  time.  He  has  now  nearly 
eight  years  left  before  he  can  do  anything  more,  unless 
ordered  to  by  the  court.  In  my  opinion  no  judge 
would  make  such  an  order,  and  an  attempt  to  secure  it 
would  end  in  certain  failure.  Unpleasant  as  this  may 
be,  I  am  obliged  to  answer  your  question. 

Mr.  Hall  drew  one  of  his  fists  out  of  the  pocket  that 
contained  it  and  brought  it  down  on  the  office  desk  be- 
fore Mr.  Keith,  with  a  resounding  blow. 

"  And  yet  you  know,  as  you  sit  there,"  he  said,  bit- 
terly, "  that  you  have  not  enough  faith  in  the  man  to 
trust  him  with  a  hundred  dollars." 

The  lawyer  nodded  assent. 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION.  II 

"Admitting  it,  for  the  sake  of  argument,  what  in- 
fluence would  my  opinion,  unsupported  by  a  scintilla 
of  fact,  have  on  that  of  the  judge?  If  there  was  any- 
thing we  could  bring  forward  except  our  private  sus- 
picions, it  would  be  a  different  story.  These  are  the 
facts.  Richard  Morse  was  selected  by  your  mother 
to  manage  this  estate,  after  an  acquaintance  with  him 
extending  over  a  number  of  years.  While  she  lived 
he  was  her  confidential  business  agent.  She  believed 
she  could  trust  him  with  this  important  matter.  He 
has  never  been,  as  you  admit,  a  day  behind  in  his  pay- 
ments out  of  the  receipts.  You  have  no  proof  thathislife 
is  other  than  that  of  a  decent,  respectable  citizen.  His 
business,  that  of  an  insurance  agent,  shows  that  he  has 
a  standing  in  the  community  and  that  his  honesty  is 
taken  as  a  matter  of  course  by  people  with  large  inter- 
ests. 

"  At  the  same  time,  you  and  I  have  an  instinctive 
feeling  that  there  is  something  crooked  in  his  make-up, 
and  neither  of  us  is  pleased  at  his  hold  over  your  little 
patrimony.  That  is  all  we  could  say  if  we  brought  a 
suit  against  him.  Courts  are  very  guarded  in  interfer- 
ing with  trustees  appointed  in  accordance  with  the  re- 
quests of  a  will.  My  dear  Victor,  I  am  sorry,  but  if 
you  want  to  make  a  move  predestined  to  failure  you 
must  do  it  through  some  other  attorney  and  against 
my  advice." 

Mr.  Hall  pressed  his  hand  against  his  breast  and  ex- 
pelled the  air  violently  from  his  lungs. 

"  I'll  get  one,  then,"  he  said,  with  a  shake  of  the 
head.  "  If  I'm  going  to  lose  all  I  have  in  the  world 


12  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

I'll  make  the  court  responsible  for  it.  When  I  find 
I'm  a  beggar  it'll  be  some  satisfaction  to  go  to  a  judge 
and  say,  '  I  warned  you  of  the  kind  of  man  you've  let 
rob  me! '  It's  not  in  my  blood  to  stand  still  and  have 
my  throat  cut  without  a  protest." 

Mr.  Keith  did  not  attempt  to  influence  the  decision 
of  his  impetuous  friend.  He  busied  himself  with  some 
papers  that  lay  on  his  desk,  as  if  'he  had  dismissed  the 
matter  from  his  mind.  Mr.  Hall  waited  a  moment, 
then  turned  on  his  heel  and  strode  toward  the  door 
that  opened  into  the  hallway.  Pausing,  he  swung 
about  and  remarked  in  a  querulous  tone,  "  You  don't 
say  anything." 

"  What's  the  use?  I  understood  you  wanted  the 
best  advice  I  had  to  give,  and  you've  got  it.  Appar- 
ently you  prefer  to  be  your  own  counsellor.  You've 
heard  the  proverb,  'A  man  who  tries  to  be  his  own  law- 
yer has  a  fool  for  a  client.'  " 

"  You  must  admit  that  it's  a  nasty  situation." 

"  There's  no  question  about  that." 

"  I  could  bring  fifty  men  who  wouldn't  trust  Dick 
Morse  with  a  dollar.  Wouldn't  that  be  of  any  influ- 
ence in  showing  the  kind  of  man  he  is?  " 

Mr.  Keith  smiled  and  asked  soberly  how  many  men 
Hall  knew,  who,  though  they  might  admit  that  they 
held  this  opinion — in  a  private  conversation — would 
be  willing  to  go  on  a  witness  stand  and  swear  to  it. 
They  would  crawl  out  of  the  dilemma  like  rats  from  a 
sinking  ship.  Most  of  them  would  have  to  acknowl- 
edge that  their  property  was  insured  in  companies  of 


STRANGER  T53AN  FICTION.  13 

WhlcK  Morse  wa»  agenf.  In  fhe  han3s  of  a  sfirew3 
cross-examiner  they  would  appear  ridiculous. 

"  No,  Victor,  it  wouldn't  work,"  he  added,  solemnly. 

"  Then  it  amounts  to  this — I  must  have  my  pockel 
picked  without  making  an  effort  to  save  myself!  A 
rascal  can  hide  behind  his  '  legal  rights  '  and  I  am  help- 
less. I've  a  great  mind  to  walk  into  his  office  and 
make  him  give  up  his  plunder  with  my  hands  on  his 
damned  gullet ! " 

There  was  so  little  likelihood  that  the  young  man 
would  do  anything  of  the  sort  that  the  lawyer  was  not 
much  disturbed.  He  was  moved,  however,  to  ask  if  his 
client  had  made  any  attempt  to  persuade  Morse  to  sur- 
render his  trust  peaceably. 

"  No,  I  haven't.  My  feelings  are  such  that  I  don't 
care  to  hold  any  conversation  with  him.  He's  a  great 
deal  too  oily  for  me.  Say,"  added  Mr.  Hall,  struck  by  a 
new  idea,  "  won't  yau  go  as  my  representative  and 
state  the  case  in  your  own  words?  You  wouldn't  fly  in 
a  rage,  as  I  might,  if  he  stuck  and  wouldn't  do  a  thing. 
Perhaps  you  could  persuade  or  scare  him  into  turn- 
ing over  the  stuff — if  he's  really  got  any  of  it  left, 
which  I  doubt.  That's  the  best  scheme  yet.  Put  on 
your  hat  and  run  over,  and  I'll  wait  here  till  you  come 
back." 

This  Mr.  Keith  did  not  seem  in  haste  to  do.  He 
dwelt  on  the  disagreeable  nature  of  the  proposed  inter- 
view, which  would  amount  to  announcing  that  the 
honesty  of  the  trustee  was  called  in  question.  After  a 
long  talk,  however,  he  finally  consented  to  see  Mr. 


14  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

Morse  and  ask  him  such  questions  as  he  deemed  best, 
depending  on  the  attitude  that  person  assumed. 

"And  if  he  tries  any  cheap  evasions,  will  you  hit  him 
one,  right  on  the  proboscis?  "  asked  the  visitor,  half  in 
earnest. 

"  That  would  be  a  little  out  of  my  line." 

"  I'll  do  it  myself,  if  he  drives  me  to  it,"  said  Mr. 
Hall,  growing  angry  again.  "  He'll  give  you  no  sat- 
isfaction, I  feel  it  in  my  bones,  but  I  want  you  to  try. 
I'd  pay  half  he's  keeping  from  me  to  have  him  alone 
in  a  room  for  just  ten  minutes." 

When  his  client  finally  left  him  to  himself  Mr.  Keith 
buried  his  face  in  his  hands  and  thought  for  an  hour 
on  the  subject  of  their  conversation.  He  recalled  the 
day  when  Mrs.  Hall  sent  for  him  to  come  to  her  bed- 
side and  told  him  how  he  was  to  draw  her  will.  He 
had  been  her  legal  adviser  as  well  as  the  close  friend 
of  her  husband,  but  she  had  turned  to  Richard  Morse 
for  counsel  in  everything  pecuniary.  When  she  stip- 
ulated that  Morse  was  to  be  trustee  of  the  property  she 
wanted  to  will  to  her  son  the  lawyer  was  nevertheless 
a  little  surprised. 

He  felt  it  his  duty  to  ask  if  she  was  perfectly  sure 
Morse  was  a  suitable  person  to  entrust  with  this  duty 
but  when  she  asked,  "  Have  you  any  cause  to  doubt 
it?  "  he  was  obliged  to  answer  that  he  could  give  no 
satisfactory  reason  for  the  inquiry.  He  drew  the  will 
as  she  wished  it,  saw  that  it  was  properly  signed  and 
attested,  and  after  her  death  presented  it  to  the  court. 
Victor  at  that  time  was  a  boy  of  sixteen,  and  it  was 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  15 

not  till  several  years  after  that  he  began  to  express 
fears  of  the  honesty  of  the  trustee. 

Morse  occupied  a  peculiar  position  in  Stromberg, 
the  Illinois  town  in  which  our  history  opens.  He  had 
come  there  some  years  before  and  purchased  the  busi- 
ness of  the  principal  insurance  agent,  who  was  obliged 
to  remove  to  a  milder  climate  on  account  of  his  health. 
As  is  common  in  such  cases  the  patrons  of  the  old  con- 
cern continued  their  insurance  with  the  new  agent, 
depending  rather  upon  the  solidity  of  his  companies 
than  upon  him.  Being  thus  well  established  new  busi- 
ness came  also  and  he  continued  to  have  by  far  the 
largest  line  of  insurance  of  any  agent  in  the  vicinity. 

And  yet  there  was  something  about  the  man  that 
caused  the  feeling  which  troubled  Victor  Hall  to  lodge 
in  the  minds  of  many  other  people.  When  Mrs.  Hall 
gave  her  estate  into  his  hands  without  bonds  a  murmur 
of  surprise  swept  through  the  community.  Nobody  else 
would  have  thought  of  putting  such  faith  in  Richard 
Morse.  He  did  not  seem  the  type  of  man  usually  se- 
lected for  that  sort  of  confidence.  If  asked  to  give  a 
reason  for  this  impression  no  other  answer  could  be 
obtained  than  a  strong  impression.  But  it  was  general, 
practically  universal,  and  Mr.  Hall  heard  expressions 
of  sympathy  from  nearly  every  one  who  had  any  cause 
• — or  no  cause — to  say  anything  about  the  matter. 

While  he  remained  at  school  Victor  cared  little  and 
thought  less  about  the  pecuniary  status  in  which  he 
found  himself.  When  he  became  of  age,  however,  and 
the  importance  of  Mr.  Morse's  relation  to  him  became 
more  evident,  he  grew  uneasy  and  finally  worked  him- 


l6  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION, 

self  up  to  the  heat  in  which  we  have  just  found  him, 

He  was  usually  a  very  quiet  and  courteous  young  man, 
and  no  ordinary  affair  would  have  thrown  him  into 

such  a  state  of  temper. 

All  this  came  back  to  Mr.  Keith  as  he  revolved  the 
question  in  his  mind  and  tried  to  find  some  avenue  of 
escape  from  the  disagreeable  situation.  He  thought 
of  Mr.  Morse  in  every  aspect  of  his  visible  life.  Thirty 
years  of  age,  of  quiet  dress  and  manner,  so  polite  in 
his  intercourse  with  people  that  more  than  one  used 
the  expression  applied  by  Mr.  Hall,  and  called  him 
"oily." 

He  walked  through  the  world  as  if  wearing  a  pair  of 
velvet  slippers.  Whatever  may  have  reached  his  ears 
of  the  hateful  things  said,  no  one  could  remember 
hearing  a  word  from  him  that  implied  criticism  of 
others.  He  was  always  to  be  found  at  his  office  during 
the  usual  hours  and  everything  connected  with  his 
business  was  as  shipshape  as  if  a  committee  from  the 
various  insurance  companies  was  hourly  expected,  to 
make  a  searching  examination  of  his  books. 

Although  he  was  not  a  member  of  any  church  and 
never  prated  about  religion,  he  was  generally  found  on 
Sunday  at  one  of  the  houses  of  worship  in  town,  tak- 
ing whatever  seat  the  usher  assigned  him  and  always 
putting  a  substantial  coin  in  the  box  when  it  was 
passed  his  way. 

Many  of  the  business  men  of  Stromberg  drove  fast 
horses  and  some  of  them  had  other  articles  that  might 
also  be  trrmrd  fast,  dmwinrr  upon  their  purses:  not  so, 
as  far  as  anybody  knew,  had  Morse.  Many  took  "  fly- 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  Vf 

ers  "  in  the  stock  market;  never  he.  Some  reeled 
home  occasionally  late  at  night  the  worse  for  drink; 
Mr.  Morse  was  to  all  appearance  a  total  abstainer, 
though  he  never  forced  his  prejudices  in  this  respect  or 
any  other  upon  people  who  differed  from  him. 

The  more  Mr.  Attorney  Keith  reflected  upon  these 
things  the  more  doubtful  he  became  as  to  the  outcome 
of  the  interview  he  had  promised  unwillingly  to  have 
with  this  man.  There  seemed  absolutely  no  ground  on 
which  to  base  a  demand  that  Morse  surrender  his  trust, 
and  men  are  not  likely,  as  a  rule,  to  give  up  an  ap- 
pointment of  that  kind  merely  because  they  are  asked 
to  do  so;  the  request  would  in  itself  be  construed  as  a 
reflection  upon  the  trustee  and  if  complied  with  would 
place  him  in  a  bad  position  before  the  public. 

All  the  same  the  lawyer  did  not  in  the  least  change 
the  opinion  he  had  expressed  to  his  young  friend,  that 
Morse  was  not  the  type  of  person  in  whom  one  would 
place  implicit  confidence.  If  he  could  find  any  excuse 
to  suggest  that  he  resign  he  would  be  only  too  glad 
to  avail  himself  of  it. 

The  result  of  long  thought  was  to  leave  Mr.  Keith 
just  about  where  he  was  when  he  began.  He  decidecf 
to  approach  Morse  in  a  friendly  manner  and  trust  to 
luck.  There  would  be  nothing  remarkable  in  a  lawyer 
who  had  represented  two  generations  of  the  Hall  fam- 
ily asking,  as  the  attorney  of  the  surviving  one,  to  be 
shown  the  exact  condition  of  the  estate,  and  to  be 
given  proofs  that  the  property  was  as  represented. 
Keith  could  hardly  expect  this  slow,  subtle  man  to 
furnish  evidence  on  which  to  base  anvthing:  substan- 


i8  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  , 

tial,  unless  the  worst  that  was  feared  had  already  hap- 
pened. 

The  next  day,  therefore,  without  sending  word  of 
his  intended  visit,  which  he  thought  unnecessary,  Mr. 
Keith  entered  Mr.  Morse's  office  early  in  the  morning 
and  was  met  by  that  gentleman  with  the  impassive 
face  that  all  his  acquaintances  knew  so  well.  The  ex- 
tended hand  of  the  visitor  was  touched  by  his  cold,  un- 
responsive fingers  and  then,  a  chair  being  offered  and 
accepted,  Mr.  Keith  got  down  to  business. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 


CHAPTER  II. 

''SHE  WEARS  A  RING  I  GAVE  HER/' 

"  I  BELIEVE,  Mr.  Morse,  you  hold  some  property  in 
trust  for  a  young  friend  of  mine,  Victor  Hall." 

Mr.  Morse  bowed  with  slow  deliberation.  If  he  had 
any  suspicion  as  to  the  move  Mr.  Keith  contemplated 
he  gave  no  outward  sign  of  it. 

"  Representing  Mr.  Hall,  and  being  an  old  friend  of 
his  father's  before  him,  I  would  like  to  know  exactly 
how  that  property  is  at  present  invested." 

Mr.  Morse  bowed  again,  in  the  same  manner  as  be- 
fore. Then,  asking  to  be  excused  a  moment,  he  went 
to  an  inner  office,  where  two  clerks  were  at  work,  and 
leaving  the  portal  ajar,  asked  one  of  them  to  open  the 
safe.  The  clerk  left  his  writing,  applied  himself  to  the 
combination,  and  when  he  had  finished  returned  to  his 
work.  Mr.  Morse  put  his  hand  immediately  on  a 
brown  paper  parcel,  neatly  tied  with  blue  tape,  and  re- 
turned to  Mr.  Keith  with  it  in  his  hand.  The  parcel 
was  of  the  shape  in  which  legal  documents  are  usually 
filed,  being  something  like  ten  inches  long,  three  or 
four  inches  wide,  and  an  inch  and  a  half  in  thickness. 

"  Everything  is  in  this  package,"  said  Mr.  Morse, 
laying  it  on  the  table  in  front  of  the  lawyer.  "  Ex- 
amine it  all  you  please,  take  whatever  notes  you  desire 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

is  stationery  m  the  table  drawer — and  toucK 
that  bell  when  you  have  finished.  I  shall  be  in  the 
next  room  writing  some  letters." 

Surely  nothing  could  seem  more  open  and  above- 
board  than  this  procedure  and  the  lawyer  reddened 
slightly  as  he  compared  the  action  with  the  attitude  he 
was  himself  compelled  to  assume.  He  responded  in  as 
pleasant  a  tone  as  possible  that  he  was  much  obliged, 
and  proceeded  to  untie  the  tape,  which  was  neatly  se- 
cured in  a  bow-knot.  Drawing  a  sheet  of  paper  from 
the  indicated  receptacle,  he  took  up  a  pen  and  dipped 
it  in  the  inkstand  before  him.  Then  he  copied  as  his 
first  line  the  words  he  found  on  the  outside  of  the 
package,  written  in  the  neat  and  legible  hand  of  Mr. 
Morse,  which  he  recognized  without  difficulty: 

"  Property  of  Victor  Hall,  held  in  trust  by  Richard  A. 
Morse }  tinder  the  will  of  Martha  Hall,  deceased." 

The  parcel  contained  bonds  of  various  railroads  and 
other  corporations,  all  standing  high  in  the  confidence 
of  the  public;  what  were,  in  short,  known  as  "  gilt- 
edged  "  investments.  If  Mr.  Keith  had  been  asked 
to  name  the  safest  securities  for  a  trust  estate  he  would 
have  mentioned  most  of  these  without  hesitation. 
When  the  list  was  copied  in  full  he  tied  up  the  package 
again  as  nearly  as  possible  as  before,  and  touched  the 
little  hand-bell  that  stood  on  the  table. 

Mr.  Morse's  face  exhibited  neither  pleasure  nor  dis- 
satisfaction as  he  re-entered  the  lawyer's  presence.  It 
was  the  same  impassive  countenance  that  everybody 
in  Stromberg  knew  so  well. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  21 

"  I  am  much  obliged  to  you,"  said  Mr.  Keith,  push- 
ing the  parcel  toward  him  with  a  slight  motion. 
"  Those  are  very  solid  securities,  Mr.  Morse.  What 
do  they  average  annually?  " 

"About  four  per  cent.  I  could  secure  a  larger  rate, 
but  safety  of  the  principal  is  the  first  thing  to  be 
thought  of.  All  of  them,  I  believe,  have  appreciated  in 
value  since  they  were  purchased,  which  will  help  to 
offset  the  low  income.  I  kept,  of  course,  an  account, 
during  Mr.  Hall's  minority,  of  the  receipts,  and  of  my 
expenditures  for  him,  which  I  gave  him  with  the  bal- 
ance remaining^  on  his  twenty-first  birthday.  Since 
then  I  have  handed  or  sent  him  the  net  income  quar- 
terly." 

It  was  something  of  a  relief  to  the  investigator  to 
have  the  trustee  assume  this  impassive  demeanor,  but 
he  could  not  quite  overcome  the  feeling  that  Morse 
must  know  the  suspicion  which  had  prompted  his 
visit. 

"  I  suppose  you  would  be  equally  willing  to  show 
these  papers  to  Mr.  Hall,  if  he  should  come  with  me 
or  by  himself  to  see  them?"  he  inquired,  rising. 

"At  any  time.  If  I  am  not  in  you  can  ask  Mr. 
Brown,  my  clerk,  to  open  the  safe  for  you.  I  will  give 
him  instructions.  As  I  do  not  think  it  wise  for  two 
persons  to  have  the  combination  of  a  safe,  I  always 
have  Mr.  Brown  open  mine  for  me,  and  I  will  tell  him 
to  do  the  same  for  you  or  Mr.  Hall." 

Such  perfect  fairness  and  confidence  almost  took  the 
lawyer's  breath  away.  He  was  glad  when  the  inter- 
view was  terminated.  At  his  office  he  found  Victor 


22  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

awaiting  him  with  impatience,  and  as  soon  as  he  could 
recover  his  balance  Mr.  Keith  related  the  particulars 
just  narrated. 

"  If  he  had  been  expecting  to  bring  in  his  final 
account  and  close  up  the  trusteeship  this  morning,  he 
could  not  have  had  anything  in  more  perfect  order," 
he  said,  in  closing. 

"  I  wish  he  was  expecting  it,"  growled  Mr.  Hall,  ap- 
parently no  more  pleased  than  before.  "  I  suppose 
you  are  convinced  now  that  all  my  apprehensions  are 
groundless?  " 

"  No,  Victor.  Even  in  the  face  of  that  remarkably 
clear  exhibit  I  am  just  as  doubtful  of  him  as  I  was  be- 
fore. It  may  be  I  am  wrong;  I  hope  I  am;  but  that's 
the  way  I  feel  and,  like  you,  I  am  unable  to  give  any- 
thing more  than  a  strong  impression  for  my  fear." 

"And  you  still  think  there's  no  remedy?  " 

"  I  am  sorry  to  say  I  do." 

The  younger  man  muttered  something  beneath  his 
breath  that,  judging  by  the  expression  of  his  face,  was 
not  of  a  pleasant  nature. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  I've  decided  on,  then,"  he  said, 
when  he  could  find  utterance.  "  I'm  going  to  leave 
this  part  of  the  country  and  begin  the  task  of  making  a 
living  for  myself  in  some  State  where  nobody  ever  saw 
or  heard  of  me.  I've  got  a  little  something  saved, 
thank  Goodness!  and  I  can  get  along  for  awhile  with- 
out much  other  income.  I'm  a  beggar,  or  shall  be,  and 
I  might  as  well  look  the  thing  straight  in  the  eye." 

Mr.  Keith  drummed  with  his  fingers  on  his  desk  in 
a  way  he  had  when  absorbed  in  thought.  He  didn't 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  23 

knew  that  he  could  conscientiously  advise  his  young 
friend  against  the  course  he  had  outlined.  Sometimes 
it  was  the  best  thing  for  a  fellow  to  be  thrown  on  his 
own  innate  resources  and  learn  to  develop  the  best  that 
was  in  him  without  exterior  aid.  Victor  had  never 
shown  any  inclination  toward  dissipation,  so  far  as  he 
knew.  He  had  a  fairly  good  head  on  his  shoulders 
and  had  graduated  from  school  with  fair  rank.  He 
thought  of  all  these  things  as  he  inquired  if  Mr.  Hall 
had  any  definite  destination  in  view. 

"  I'm  going  further  west.  Horace  Greeley's  advice 
is  still  worth  following.  In  a  new  country  a  man  is 
taken  for  what  he  is,  not  for  what  his  ancestors  were. 
I  can  put  my  shoulder  to  the  wheel  and  push  without 
being  discouraged  by  whispers  that  I  wasn't  born  for 
hard  work,  and  that  if  I  had  my  rights  I  could  start 
out  with  a  decent  capital  and  do  wonderful  things. 
And  there's  another  reason,  Keith,  and  it's  more  im- 
portant than  you  think,  too.  I've  been  developing  a 
dangerous  sentiment  toward  that  villain  across  the 
street.  It's  no  joke  to  say  that  I've  been  on  the  point 
of  climbing  his  stairs  and  knocking  the  stuffing  out 
of  him  a  dozen  times,  within  the  past  month.  Of 
course  I  should  get  the  worst  of  it,  for  I  would  be 
breaking  the  law  and  might  get  inside  a  jail  to  pay  for 
my  amusement;  but  when  I  think  of  the  way  he — ' 

The  young  man  broke  off  suddenly,  his  voice  chok- 
ing with  suppressed  rage.  The  lawyer  felt  no  inclina- 
tion to  smile.  He  could  see  there  was  something  in 
the  statement  to  which  he  had  just  listened. 

"  I  believe  you  are  going  to  do  the  best  thing,  Vic- 


24  STKANGER  THAK  FICTION,. 

tor,"  He  answered,  firmly.  "  Even  if  we've  misjudged 
this  man — if  your  property  is  handed  to  you  all  right 
and  straight  when  you  are  thirty  years  old — no  harm 
can  be  done  by  putting  your  best  foot  forward  between 
tiow  and  then.  If  he  turns  out  to  be  the  fraud  we  fear, 
you'll  be  glad  you  didn't  waste  eight  of  your  best  years 
waiting  for  something  that  never  came.  I  hate  to  have 
you  go — I  feel  almost  as  if  you  were  a  son  of  my  own, 
you  know  that  very  well — but  no  selfishness  should  be 
put  into  the  scale.  All  I  want  to  say  is,  you  must  call 
on  me  for  anything  I  can  do,  pecuniary  or  other- 
wise, just  as  freely  as  if  we  were  indeed  father  and 
son." 

Impetuously  Victor  Hall  stretched  out  his  hand  and 
grasped  that  of  his  friend. 

"  You  would  do  anything  for  me,  Keith;  I  know 
that;  but  I  hope  there'll  be  no  need  of  imposing  on 
your  generosity  as  far  as  money  is  concerned.  I've 
got  a  good  deal  of  grit,  and  the  life  I  intend  to  lead 
ought  to  bring  it  out.  There's  one  thing  I  do  want  to 
impress  on  you,  though.  When  I  leave  Stromberg 
you'll  be  the  only  person  here  who'll  have  my  address. 
I  shall  shut  the  rest  of  them  as  absolutely  out  of  my 
life  as  if  I  had  gone  off  in  a  balloon  and  landed  on  the 
planet  Mars.  If  you're  ever  asked  where  I  am,  con- 
vey the  idea  that  you  don't  know.  When  you  answer 
my  letters,  mail  your  replies  at  some  point  outside  this 
town." 

To  this  Mr.  Keith  responded  that  he  would  do  as 
requested,  but  added  that  there  was  one  other  person 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  2$ 

in  Stromberg,  he  presumed,  who  would  be  exempted 
from  the  sweeping  statement  he  had  heard. 

"  Gertrude  Felton,"  he  explained,  when  Hall  asked 
whom  he  meant. 

An  expression  of  pain  flitted  across  the  other's 
brow,  and  he  closed  his  eyes  for  an  instant  as  if  to  shut 
out  a  disagreeable  sight. 

"  No,  I  shall  see  her  for  the  last  time  before  I  leave 
here,"  said  he,  in  a  low  voice.  "  I  didn't  mean  to 
bring  her  name  into  our  conversation,  but  now  it's 
done  I  may  as  well  tell  you  all.  You  know  Oscar  Fel- 
ton. You  know  he's  the  richest  man  in  Stromberg, 
though  he  came  here  poor  as  any  one.  He  would 
never  give  his  daughter  to  a  man  with  no  expectations. 
Now,  Keith,  you  have  the  secret  of  my  intense  anxiety 
to  get  hold  of  the  $40,000  Dick  Morse  keeps  from  me. 
With  that  for  a  beginning  I  might  return  in  a  few 
years  fitted  from  a  pecuniary  standpoint  to  marry 
Gerty  Felton;  without  it  the  chances  are  very  small, 
indeed.  I  can't  wear  my  heart  out  in  a  hopeless  dream. 
I  have  renounced  her  with  the  rest,  and  to-night  I'm 
going  to  make  her  a  final  call  and  say  good-by." 

"  Don't  be  too  impetuous.  You  are  both  young. 
A  hundred  things  may  happen." 

"  I  can't  endure  it,  I  tell  you!  "  cried  Hall.  "  Mr. 
Felton  has  the  same  idea  as  everybody  else  around 
town — that  I'll  never  see  the  color  of  my  money  from 
Dick  Morse.  He  has  hinted  it  two  or  three  timesv 
with  enough  added  to  let  me  see  plainly  how  the  wind 
blows  with  him.  Gerty  is  a  dear  girl.  I  won't  stand 
in  the  way  of  letting  her  find  happiness  with  some  one 


26  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

else,  like  a  dog  in  the  manger.  No,  don't  say  a  word, 
my  mind's  made  up." 

There  are  emergencies  when  the  advice  of  a  member 
of  the  bar  is  of  no  more  value  than  that  of  an  or- 
dinary layman,  and  Mr.  Keith  felt  that  in  a  case  like 
this  it  was  not  best  to  say  too  much.  So  he  contented 
himself  by  repeating  his  caution  not  to  act  precipitately, 
and  to  remember  that  the  cards  in  the  game  of  life  could 
be  shuffled  so  as  to  come  out  in  many  different  ways. 

"  I  don't  like  to  seem  inquisitive,"  he  added,  "  but 
are  you  and  she  engaged?  " 

"  In  a  way  we  are;  she  wears  a  ring  I  gave  her,  but 
I  shall  ask  it  back.  I  shall  tell  her  I  am  going  away 
from  town,  and  don't  know  when  I  shall  return." 

Mr.  Keith  shook  his  head  sagely. 

"Do  you  think  she'll  let  you  go  like  that?"  he 
asked.  "  No,  she'll  expect  you  to  tell  her  your  ad- 
dress, and  she'll  write  you  there." 

"  But  I  don't  know  it  myself!  "  said  Victor,  with  a 
touch  of  his  old  impatience.  "  If  she  asks  me  to  write 
when  I  get  settled  I  shall  have  to  make  some  evasive 
reply,  I  suppose.  Oh,  it's  enough  to  drive  me  crazy, 
this  whole  business !  If  I  don't  get  out  of  town  pretty 
soon  they'll  have  to  carry  me  to  an  asylum!" 

He  turned,  as  if  he  could  not  bear  to  discuss  the 
matter  a  second  longer,  and  left  the  office,  followed  by 
the  pitying  glances  of  his  friend. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION1.  2? 


CHAPTER  III 

FATHER  AND  DAUGHTER. 

DURING  the  rest  of  the  day,  Mr.  Hall  completed  the 
few  arrangements  necessary  to  close  his  connection 
with  the  town  of  Stromberg.  A  single  man  can  change 
his  domicile  with  little  trouble.  There  were  only  his 
things  to  pack  and  a  few  bills  to  pay.  He  meant  to 
take  the  midnight  train,  to  attract  as  little  attention  as 
possible. 

When  the  shades  of  evening  had  fallen  he  took  his 
way  slowly  toward  the  more  aristocratic  end  of  the 
town  and  opened  the  gate  of  a  handsome  residence. 
His  heart  beat  uneasily  and  he  dreaded  the  interview 
for  which  he  had  come.  For  several  years  his  feel- 
ings toward  Gertrude  Felton  had  been  of  a  tender  na- 
ture. The  happiest  moments  he  could  recall  had  been 
passed  in  her  company.  He  had  builded,  sometimes, 
a  radiant  future  in  which  they  two  were  linked  in  in- 
dissoluble bonds.  All  this,  he  felt  with  sadness,  was 
now  to  end.  He  must  force  himself  to  say  farewell. 
It  was  the  hardest  thing  that  lay  before  him  in  the  new 
Jife  on  which  he  had  decided. 

Hardly  had  the  gate  closed  noiselessly  behind  the 
young  man,  when  the  door  of  the  mansion  opened  and 
a  portly  form  emerged.  Mr.  Hall  knew  well  the 


28  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION, 

owlier  of  that  form  and  wished  he  could  avoid  the 
meeting  that  was  imminent.  An  instant  later  they 
exchanged  greetings  that  were  not  over  cordial.  Each 
considered  the  other  a  menace  to  his  peace  of  mind  and 
acted  accordingly. 

Mr.  Hall  said  "  Good  evening,"  in  a  perfunctory 
tone  and  received  a  reply  in  the  same  words,  delivered 
in  the  same  manner.  But  before  he  reached  the  gate 
Mr.  Felton  turned  and  spoke  again. 

"  Just  a  word,  if  you  please." 

Victor  turned  and  faced  the  speaker  and  for  nearly 
a  minute  nothing  more  was  spoken. 

"  It  is  well  known  to  you,"  said  the  elder  man,  at 
last,  "  that  your  calls  on  my  daughter  are  not  agreeable 
to  me.  Let  me  ask,  then,  why  you  continue  them?" 

"  Instead  of  replying  directly,  sir,  let  me  say  that  I 
have  come  to  bid  Miss  Felton  farewell.  I  intend  to 
leave  Stromberg." 

An  expression  of  decided  relief  came  into  the  father's 
face. 

"In  that  case,"  he  remarked,  insinuatingly,  "what 
need  is  there  of  calling?  A  note  would,  I  should 
think,  answer  every  purpose;  or,  if  you  choose,  I  will 
say  to  her  what  you  have  told  me." 

There  was  another  brief  silence.  Mr.  Hall's  eyes 
were  bent  on  the  ground  and  his  breast  heaved. 

"Mr.  Felton,"  he  said  at  last,  "  I  have  known  Ger- 
trude several  years.  We  have  been  good  friends. 
After  to-night  it  is  unlikely  that  T  shall  ever  see  her 
again.  Do  you  forbid  my  speaking  to  her — for  the 
last  time?" 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  29 

"  No,  I  do  not  forbid  it;  I  only  ask  you  to  consider 
whether  it  is  wise.  To  be  candid,  Mr.  Hall,  it  has 
long  been  evident  to  you  that  your  attentions  to  Ger- 
trude have  not  met  my  approval.  I  do  not  know  what 
your  intentions  may  have  been,  but  frequent  associa- 
tion between  young  people  whose  future  stations  must 
be  far  apart — I  say  only  what  you  realize,  I  have  no 
doubt — is  not  of  advantage  to — to  either.  We  cannot 
help  the  silly  talk  of  gossips.  I  have  even  been  asked 
by  persons  who  could  not,  apparently,  see  the  absurd- 
ity of  the  question,  if  you  were  '  engaged '  to  my 
daughter.  Such  things  are  not  only  a  source  of 
great  annoyance  to  me,  but  they  may  prove  an  injury 
to  my  child.  She  will  inherit  a  large  fortune  and  it 
is  only  reasonable  to  suppose  that  when  she  makes  a 
matrimonial  alliance  it  will  be  with  a  gentleman  simi- 
larly situated.  To  receive  you  as  she  has  done,  to  be 
seen  in  your  company,  to  have  her  name  coupled  with 
yours  (I  cast  no  reflections  upon  you,  Mr.  Hall),  was 
at  least  very  injudicious.  So  I  ask  you,  if  you  are 
going  away,  why  not  drop  the  matter  exactly  where 
it  is?  Some  one  may  learn — news  spreads  so  rapidly 
in  small  towns — that  one  of  your  last  calls  was  at 
my  house,  and  the  tongue  of  rumor  will  be  let  loose 
again." 

The  cheek  of  Mr.  Hall  burned  as  he  listened.  The 
remarks  were  galling  to  his  sensitive  pride  as  well  as 
painful  to  him  from  another  standpoint. 

"  Mr.  Felton,"  he  answered,  controlling  himself  with 
a  great  effort,  "  you  are  a  much  older  man  than  I ;  you 
are  also  the  father  of  a  young  lady  I  highly  esteem; 


3O  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

both  reasons  make  me  wish  to  treat  you  with  the  great- 
est respect.  I  must  remind  you,  however,  that  you 
came  to  Stromberg  penniless  and  that  it  was  my 
father  to  whose  kindness  you  owed  your  first  rise  in 
life.  What  do  you  think  he  would  say  if  he  heard 
you  taunt  his  son  with  being  unfit  to  enter  your  house, 
merely  because  fortune  has  dealt  more  kindly  with  you 
than  with  him?  " 

The  hands  of  the  elder  man  were  raised  depre- 
catingly. 

"  That  is  a  very  harsh  way  to  describe  a  desire  for  a 
daughter's  happiness,"  he  protested.  "  I  do  not  say 
you  are  unfit  to  enter  my  house,  nothing  of  the  kind. 
The  fact  that  I  have  never  forbidden  you  to  come  here 
proves  that  I  have  no  such  thought.  As  to  the  assist- 
ance rendered  me  by  your  father  I  have  never  forgot- 
ten it  nor  ceased  to  be  grateful  for  it.  He  loaned  me 
a  small  sum  of  money,  which  I  repaid  with  interest.  It 
was  to  a  certain  extent  a  business  transaction,  by  which 
he  lost  nothing.  To  use  it  at  this  late  day  as  an  ex- 
cuse to  alter  the  arrangement  of  my  family  affairs  is 
extraordinary,  to  say  the  least." 

Smarting  under  the  strain  until  he  could  hardly  hold 
his  tongue,  Mr.  Hall  turned  abruptly  toward  the  gate. 

"  I  shall  not  enter  your  house  after  what  you  have 
said,"  he  remarked,  pausing.  "  That  will  please  you, 
I  have  no  doubt,  even  if  it  wounds  a  sweet  girl  whose 
friendship  I  hoped  to  retain  in  my  distant  home.  I 
only  ask  you  to  tell  Gerty  why  I  left  Stromberg  with- 
out a  parting  word,  after  the  pleasant  relations  she  and 
I  have  sustained  so  long." 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  3! 

The  satisfaction  of  the  father  was  too  evident  to  be 
concealed. 

"  I  will  tell  her  to-morrow,"  he  said.  "  Let  me  add 
my  personal  thanks  for  your  very  wise  decision.  It  is 
much  better  than  if  you  had  even  sent  her  a  note  as  I 
at  first  suggested.  Very  much  better." 

Mr.  Hall  shrank  as  if  stung  by  a  poisonous  reptile. 

"  You  are  afraid  to  trust  your  own  child,"  he  ex- 
claimed, bitterly.  "  You  believe  she  loves  me,  and 
that,  were  I  to  say  the  word,  she  would  go  with  me  as 
my  wife,  whether  you  gave  your  consent  or  not!  " 

The  rich  man  fumbled  nervously  with  a  massive 
watchchain  that  hung  across  his  black  waistcoat. 

"  You  say  you  expect  to  leave  town  to-night,"  said 
he,  as  if  anxious  to  get  further  from  that  view  of  the 
subject.  "Have  you  decided  where  you  are  to  lo- 
cate?" 

"  Without  intending  to  be  impolite  I  must  answer 
that  it  is  none  of  your  business,"  retorted  Victor,  im- 
patiently. 

iMr.  Felton  bit  at  his  finger  nails. 

"  I  have  heard  that  you  think  of  adopting  the  legal 
profession?" 

"  I  must  answer  again  that  it  is  no  concern  of  yours 
what  I  do  or  where  I  go." 

"  I  only  wanted  to  say — and  you  must  not  get  angry 
with  me — that  if  you  find  an  opening  where  you  can 
use  a  few  thousand  dollars  to  advantage — I  am  not  un- 
mindful of  what  your  father  did  for  me — " 

Unable  to  bear  any  more,  Mr.  Hall  bolted,  leaving 
the  perplexed  gentleman  standing  alone.  This  seemed 


$2  STRANGER  THAN  FICTIOtf. 

the  hardest  of  all  the  troubles  he  had  had  during  the 
past  few  weeks.  To  throw  him  the  offer  of  financial 
aid,  after  barring  him  from  his  door,  was  adding  insult 
to  injury. 

Mr.  Felton  waited  until  the  form  of  the  other  was 
out  of  sight,  and  then  slowly  retraced  his  steps. 
Taking  a  pass-key  from  his  pocket  he  re-entered  his 
residence  and,  ringing  for  a  servant,  requested  that  she 
ask  Gertrude  to  come  to  the  library.  Mrs.  Felton  had 
deceased  some  years  before  and  there  was  no  one  to 
share  his  responsibility  with  him. 

Gertrude  came  running  lightly  down  the  stairs. 
When  she  entered  her  father's  presence  she  came  to  his 
side  and,  putting  an  arm  around  his  neck,  kissed  him 
on  the  cheek.  She  was  dressed  in  a  gown  of  light 
material,  very  becoming  to  her  blonde  beauty,  and  had 
some  bright-colored  flowers  in  a  corsage  bouquet. 

"  You  look  as  if  dressed  for  company,"  said  Mr.  Fel- 
ton, with  a  desire  to  gain  time. 

"  I  do  expect  a  caller,  papa  dear,"  she  answered, 
kissing  him  again.  "  Victor  Hall  telephoned  me  this 
afternoon  that  he  would  run  in  for  a  little  while  this 
evening." 

He  held  her  off  at  arm's  length  and  looked  at  her 
face  searchingly. 

"  You  know  I  don't  like  him,"  he  said,  simply. 

"  But,  papa,  he's  a  very  nice  young  man — and  we've 
known  each  other  a  long  time — and—- 
She could  not  look  into  the  eyes  he  bent  so  question- 
ingly  on  her. 

"  Gertrude,  I  have  let  you  have  your  way  in  almost 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  33 

everything  since,  your  mother  left  us,"  said  he,  gravely. 
"  You  are  now  twenty  years  old  and  should  yield  to  my 
superior  judgment  in  matters  of  this  kind.  If  Mr.  Hall 
calls  here  to-night  you  must  make  an  excuse  not  to 
see  him." 

"Papa  ! " 

"If  you  have  any  doubt  of  being  able  to  obey  me,  I 
shall  remain  in  and  go  to  the  door  myself." 

Miss  Felton  burst  into  tears  and  for  a  long  time 
could  not  speak  intelligibly.  Afterwards  she  tried 
every  art  of  which  she  was  mistress  to  induce  her  father 
to  mitigate  the  rigorousness  of  his  decision,  but  with- 
out avail.  He  talked  to  her  of  the  position  she  was 
entitled  to  in  society,  of  the  high  alliance  that  would 
naturally  be  hers,  of  the  improbability  that  Victor  Hall 
would  ever  reach  the  social  and  financial  level  that 
would  make  him  a  suitable  mate.  The  poor  girl  knew 
only  that  she  loved  the  boy  and  was  not  in  the  least 
dazzled  by  her  parent's  gorgeous  pictures  of  the  bril- 
liant future  in  store  for  a  millionaire's  daughter. 

"  If  I  can't  have  around  me  the  people  I  like  best," 
she  protested,  over  and  over,  "  I  don't  see  the  pleasure 
of  being  rich.  Oh,  papa,  dear  papa,  don't  make  me 
treat  him  uncivilly,  at  least!  When  he  rings  the  bell 
let  me  invite  him  into  the  parlor  and  break  it  to  him 
gently.  If  we  must  part  it  should  be  as  friends." 

To  all  of  her  entreaties  he  remained  firm,  but  about 
nine  o'clock  he  went  out,  saying  he  had  a  business  er- 
rand that  needed  his  attention,  and  that  he  relied  upon 
her  not  to  disobey  his  commands.  Whether  she  would 
have  lone  so  or  not  we  cannot  say,  as  ten  o'clock  came 


34  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

and  then  eleven,  but  of  course  no  ring  announced  the 
one  she  expected. 

Mr.  Hall  went  from  the  presence  of  Mr.  Felton  with 
a  sore  heart,  but  with  a  clear  conscience.  If  a  girl 
would  insist  on  having  a  father  like  that  she  must  suffer 
the  consequences.  When  he  reached  the  place  where 
he  boarded  he  felt  ill  and  decided  not  to  take  his  train. 
He  needed  a  good  rest  before  starting  on  a  long 
journey. 

The  first  thing  he  thought  of  in  the  morning  was  not 
his  lost  sweetheart,  but  his  doubtful  inheritance.  He 
surprised  Mr.  Keith,  who  thought  him  already  gone, 
by  appearing  at  his  office  and  saying  he  wanted  to  look 
at  the  securities  in  Mr.  Morse's  safe,  as  it  would  proba- 
bly be  the  last  time.  They  went  over  together  and 
Mr.  Brown,  the  clerk,  'handed  them  the  packet,  Mr. 
Morse  having  gone  out  on  some  errand.  Mr.  Hall 
could  not  doubt  the  evidence  of  his  eyes,  but  he  ex- 
pressed to  his  friend  the  same  lack  of  confidence  in  the 
trustee  as  before. 

"  I've  a  good  mind  to  grab  the  thing  and  run,"  he 
said,  with  a  faint  laugh.  "  What  could  they  do  to  me 
if  I  did  ?  It's  mine,  isn't  it  ?  " 

"  Not  at  all.  You'd  be  just  as  much  guilty  of  lar- 
ceny as  any  other  thief.  Yes,  that's  good  law,  though 
it  may  seem  poor  logic." 

"Good-by,  then,"  said  Victor,  kissing  the  brown 
paper  with  a  tragic  air.  "  I  know  I  never  shall  set 
eyes  on  you  again !  " 

The  next  day  he  left  town  on  the  noon  train,  and  at 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  35 

'dinner  Mr.  Felton  told  his  still  inconsolable  daughter 
the  news  she  would  have  to  hear  some  time. 

"  I've  learned  why  young  Mr.  Hall  didn't  keep  his 
appointment  last  night.  He's  given  up  his  room  and 
left  for  good.  Yes,  bag  and  baggage." 

A  scream  that  pierced  him  like  a  knife  and  a  heavy 
fall  on  the  dining  room  floor  followed  the  statement. 
And  a  few  minutes  later  a  doctor's  carriage  was  driven 
rapidly  up  the  street  and  paused  before  the  million- 
aire's residence. 


36  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION; 


CHAPTER  IV. 

TRAMPING  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

THE  hot  sun  of  a  midday  in  January  shone  over  the 
ranch.  According  to  a  custom  brought  to  Southern 
California  by  its  early  Spanish  possessors,  and  tenac- 
ious of  life  even  among  the  settlers  from  Eastern 
America,  the  inhabitants  were  taking  their  rest  after  the 
noontime  meal.  Lack  of  rain,  that  curse  of  the  country 
that  often  discourages  the  farmer,  showed  in  the  stunt- 
ed verdure  and  dry  soil  on  every  side.  There  was  a 
small  orange  grove,  panting  for  the  needed  moisture, 
a  few  acres  of  alfalfa  and  an  arid  area  that  was  expected 
to  develop  later  into  a  barley  field,  besides  a  spot  that 
would  be  used  for  a  kitchen  garden  if  any  sign  of  a 
possible  harvest  should  appear  in  the  meantime.  The 
ranch-house  was  a  low,  inexpensive  structure,  with 
most  of  the  rooms  on  the  ground  floor,  and  a  woeful 
lack  of  paint  on  its  wooden  walls.  A  small  stable  shel- 
tered a  pair  of  farm-horses,  two  cows  and  a  few  head 
of  miscellaneous  stock.  In  the  distance  clouds  of  dust 
could  be  seen  sweeping  like  a  storm  across  the  horizon, 
while  overhead  other  clouds  floated  tantalizingly,  but 
gave  no  indication  of  pouring  their  needed  waters  on 
the  parched  earth. 

Darius  Gardner,  who  was  the  nominal  head  of  the 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  tf 

establishment,  smoked  his  pipe  on  the  narrow  porch, 
looking  as  if  his  interest  in  this  world  had  long  since 
been  reduced  to  that  narrow  compass.  Mrs.  Gardner, 
an  invalid  for  many  years,  lay  on  her  bed  inside  the 
house.  Their  daughter  Elsie,  fifteen  years  of  age,  was 
resting  in  a  rocker  outside  with  her  father,  occupied  to 
the  verge  of  absorption  in  the  latest  copy  of  Munsey's 
Magazine.  And  her  younger  brother,  Jacob,  sat  on 
the  floor  near  by,  whittling  aimlessly  at  a  piece  of 
wood. 

The  family  had  moved  to  this  spot  some  years  be- 
fore, on  the  advice  of  physicians,  who  imagined  the  dry- 
ness  might  cure  the  ailments  of  the  wife  and  mother. 
But  though  the  climate  was  usually  dry  enough,  the 
sick  woman  never  recovered  sufficiently  to  leave  her 
room  for  any  length  of  time.  Like  many  others  she 
had  "come  too  late."  The  climate  of  Southern  Cali- 
fornia will  do  wonders,  but  there  is  a  limit  to  its  healing 
powers.  Probably  it  did  prolong  the  flickering  spark, 
but  it  could  not  replenish  the  wasted  oil  in  the  lamp. 

Unfortunately  for  her  and  her  children  Mr.  Gardner 
had  no  genius  for  ranching,  nor  indeed  for  any  other 
useful  occupation.  His  favorite  position  was  the  one 
in  which  we  have  found  him,  among  those  at  present 
available.  If  he  had  been  asked  to  name  the  one  he 
preferred  it  would  probably  have  been  with  his  elbows 
resting  on  a  bar  and  a  glass  of  some  alcoholic  bever- 
age glued  to  his  lips.  He  was  thinking,  as  he  sat  on 
his  porch — or  rather  on  his  wife's,  for  the  ranch  was 
her  property,  the  remains  of  a  small  patrimony  she  had 
inherited — that  this  was  a  very  hard  world,  and  that 


38  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

he  was,  all  things  considered,  the  worst  used  man 
in  it. 

Elsie  lent  about  all  the  attraction  there  was  to  the 
picture,  on  the  exterior  of  the  dwelling.  In  her  print 
gown  and  white  collar,  with  a  bit  of  red  ribbon  in  her 
brown  curls,  her  dress  half  way  between  her  knees  and 
ankles,  she  looked  very  engaging  as  she  leaned  over 
the  magazine  and  drank  in  the  story.  She  had  bright, 
dark  eyes,  fringed  with  most  attractive  long  lashes,  and 
a  beautifully  rounded  little  figure,  that  gave  no  indica- 
tion of  future  undue  fatness. 

The  "  hired  girl  "  was,  as  is  usual  in  this  section,  a 
Chinaman,  who,  not  being  included  in  the  list  of  those 
who  followed  the  Spanish  custom,  could  be  heard  in 
his  kitchen,  rattling  his  dishes.  He  bore  the  name  of 
Ah  Wing,  and  served  as  family  butler,  cook,  scullery 
maid  and  footman.  The  purse  of  the  Gardner  family 
had  been  steadily  failing  for  some  years  and  one  ser- 
vant was  all  they  could  afford.  Elsie  did  her  share  of 
the  household  duties,  acting  as  nurse  to  her  mother 
among  other  things.  The  small  brother  was  voted  too 
young  to  be  of  assistance;  and  the  father,  beyond  at- 
tending to  the  barn  affairs,  was  not  expected  to  help  in 
any  way.  When  the  seasons  had  been  better  a  Mexi- 
can had  helped  with  the  crops,  from  which  the  scanty 
income  of  the  family  was  more  or  less  augmented.  The 
prospect  at  present  was  so  poor  that  it  was  thought 
wise  to  save  the  monthly  wage  and  board  of  this  man. 
There's  somebody  down  to  the  road,  pa,"  said  little 
Jacob,  looking  up  from  his  whittling.  "'He  looks  as 
if  he  was  a-comin'  up  here." 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  39 

M  A  tramp,  I  guess/'  commented  Mr.  Gardner,  after 
a  cursory  and  surreptitious  inspection  of  the  man,  who 
had  stopped  at  the  gate,  some  two  hundred  feet  from 
where  he  sat.  "Now,  Elsie,  don't  you  give  him  noth- 
in'  to  eat.  The  more  you  do  of  that  sort  of  thing  the 
more  you  may.  They  mark  some  secret  sign  on  the 
fences  an'  trees  so's  every  tramp  what  comes  along 
arterwards  knows  who  to  impose  on." 

Elsie  did  not  hear  him  at  first.  She  was  too  deeply 
absorbed  in  her  book  to  think  of  anything  else.  It 
was  only  when  Jacob  nudged  her  foot  that  she  came 
back  to  earth  and  had  her  attention  directed  to  the 
stranger. 

"  Don't  pay  no  'tendon  to  him,  an'  p'raps  he'll  go 
along,"  suggested  Mr.  Gardner,  in  a  whisper.  "It 
makes  me  tired  to  see  them  strong,  healthy  fellers 
trampin'  up  an'  down  the  country,  gittin'  their  livin* 
out  of  honest,  hard-workin'  people." 

"  He  may  not  be  a  tramp  at  all,"  said  Elsie,  putting 
down  her  Munsey.  "  And  if  he  is,  you  know  mother 
won't  let  us  send  any  one  away  hungry.  Run  down 
to  the  gate,  Jakey,  and  see  what  he  wants." 

As  there  was  no  one  on  whom  the  small  boy  could 
shift  his  new  "  white  man's  burden "  he  rose  unwil- 
lingly, and  shuffled,  still  whittling,  toward  the  man  who 
had  caused  this  commotion.  He  wished  with  all  his 
heart  that  he  had  not  disturbed  the  others  by  calling 
their  attention  to  the  apparition,  and  been  left  to  sit 
in  peace  in  the  shade. 

If  the  reader  will  look  carefully  through  the  dusty 
coating  that  envelopes  the  features  and  soils  the  cloth- 


4O  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

ing  of  the  traveler,  he  will  discover  no  less  a  person 
than  our  friend  Victor  Hall,  who  had,  for  reasons  sat- 
isfactory to  himself,  undertaken  a  long  walk  through 
this  out-of-the-way  locality.  As  Master  Jacob  ap- 
proached, he  addressed  him  pleasantly  with,  "Hallo, 
my  little  man,  what's  your  name?  " 

"  Never  you  mind  what  my  name  is,"  was  the  un- 
gracious retort.  "  The  folks  wanter  know  what  yer 
hangin'  'round  here  fer." 

"Indeed!  Well,  I  only  stopped  to  inquire  if  this  is 
John  Smith's  house." 

"  No,  'tain't.  It's  Mrs.  Gardner's  house,  an'  she 
lives  here,  an'  Darius  Gardner,  an'  Elsie  Gardner,  an* 
me.  Now  you've  found  out,  s'pose  you  march 
along." 

Mr.  Hall  glanced  at  his  dirt-covered  clothing  and 
admitted  to  himself  that  he  did  not  present  a  very  im- 
pressive appearance.  But  he  smiled  back  at  the  boy, 
for  the  little  fellow's  surly  manner  only  amused  him. 

"  The  fact  is,  my  lad,  I've  walked  all  the  morning  and 
would  like  something  to  eat,  if  it's  not  too  much 
trouble.  So  I'll  thank  you  to  say  as  much  to  Mrs. 
Gardner,  or  Mr.  Darius  Gardner,  or  Miss  Elsie  Gard- 
ner; that  is,  unless  you  feel  authorized  to  attend  to  the 
matter  yourself." 

The  boy  stared  at  the  young  man  w7ith  a  not  very 
hospitable  expression. 

"  Yer'd  git  mity  little  from  Darius  Gardner,  I'll  tell 
yer  that.  He  don't  take  no  stock  in  you  kind  of  peo- 
ple. Mrs.  Gardner's  sick  abed  and  can't  be  asked 
no  how.  I'll  tell  Elsie  Gardner  an'  see  what  she  says." 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  4! 

The  amused  smile  that  illumined  the  traveller's  face 
broadened  into  a  grin. 

"  I  do  believe  he  takes  me  for  a  tramp,"  he  said  to 
himself,  as  the  boy  slouched  off.  "  I  don't  know  as  I 
blame  him,  either,  for  I'm  so  covered  with  dust  that 
my  best  friend  wouldn't  know  me.  It's  a  good  joke, 
any  way,  and  I  may  as  well  play  it  out.  I  wonder 
what  sort  of  young  lady  Miss  Elsie  will  turn  out 
to  be?" 

When  Jacob  returned  from  his  errand  Mr.  Gardner 
renewed  his  protests  against  giving  food  to  "one  of 
them  lazy  good-for-nothin's."  To  which  Miss  Elsie 
replied,  without  debating  the  matter,  that  her  mother's 
directions  were  explicit  and  must  be  followed.  So  tell- 
ing her  brother,  much  to  his  annoyance,  to  bid  the  man 
go  to  the  kitchen,  where  Ah  Wing  would  give  him 
some  bread  and  butter  and  tea,  she  resumed  the  story 
she  was  reading  when  first  disturbed  by  the  incident. 

Mr.  Hall  laughed  good-naturedly  when  the  message 
\vas  delivered,  and  putting  one  hand  on  the  board  fence, 
vaulted  over  it  without  stopping  to  open  the  gate. 
Then  he  followed  the  lad  to  the  kitchen,  where  his  re- 
ception by  the  Chinese  cook  was  no  more  cordial  than 
the  one  that  preceded  it.  When  the  plate  and  cup 
were  handed  to  him,  Victor  stepped  out  of  doors  with 
them,  preferring  the  clear  air  of  the  yard.  The  wily 
Celestial,  in  some  fear  that  the  "  tramp"  intended  to 
steal  the  china,  watched  him  furtively  from  a  window, 
prepared  to  give  the  alarm  in  case  he  started  off  on  a 
run. 

The  traveller  gave  ample  evidence  of  the   state  of 


42  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

his  appetite  by  devouring  the  food  and  drinking  the 
tea  in  a  very  short  space  of  time.  Then,  after  return- 
ing the  china  to  the  Chinaman,  which  was  certainly 
appropriate,  he  sat  down  on  a  bench  near  by  and  re- 
lapsed into  deep  thought. 

An  hour  later  Mr.  Gardner,  happening  to  pass  the 
spot,  saw  to  his  astonishment  that  the  "  tramp"  was 
still  there;  and,  it  not  being  one  of  his  wife's  rules  that 
"  people  of  that  sort "  should  be  harbored  after  their 
hunger  was  satisfied,  he  made  bold  to  say,  "  If  there's 
nothin'  else  you  want,  young  feller,  you'd  better  be 
goin'." 

Mr.  Hall,  who  had  in  the  meantime  washed  his  face 
and  hands  of  some  part  of  the  dust  that  had  clung  to 
them,  arose  and  addressed  Mr.  Gardner  respectfully. 

"  I  would  like  to  speak  to  Miss  Elsie  before  I  leave," 
he  said. 

"W-h-a-t!"  gasped  the  astounded  man. 

"  Yes,  if  you  please.  I  would  like  to  thank  her  for 
her  hospitality." 

Mr.  Gardner  gasped  again. 

"Say,  you  git  out  of  here!"  He  pointed  toward 
the  road. 

His  voice  was  raised  to  such  an  angry  pitch  that  the 
Chinaman  inside  began  to  tremble  among  his  pots  and 
pans.  He  had  heard  that  tramps  were  dangerous 
persons,  and  perhaps  this  one  intended  to  murder 
everybody  on  the  premises,  including  himself.  Elsie 
and  her  brother  were  also  disturbed  by  the  noise  and 
came  around  the  corner  to  ascertain  its  reason. 

"  What  is  it,  father?  "  asked  the  girl,  in  a  tone  of 
quiet  assurance. 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION.  43 

The  "tramp's  "  hat  was  removed  from  his  head  as 
the  pretty  vision  appeared.  He  bowed  low,  and  when 
he  found  that  Mr.  Gardner's  indignation  was  too  great 
for  utterance,  addressed  the  young  girl  politely. 

"  Am  I  speaking  to  Miss  Elsie?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,"  she  said. 

"  Then  permit  me  to  thank  you  for  the  refreshments 
so  kindly  given  me." 

Mr.  Gardner  started  to  speak,  but  was  interrupted 
with  a  wave  of  the  hand  on  his  daughter's  part  that 
reduced  him  to  silence. 

"  You  are  very  welcome — sir,"  she  said,  hesitating 
an  instant  before  using  the  final  word. 

''  Can  you  tell  me  how  far  it  is  to  Olluma?  " 

"  Much  farther  than  you  can  walk  to-night,  I  am 
afraid,"  was  the  kind  reply.  Elsie  was  evidently  im- 
pressed with  the  unusual  bearing  of  her  strange  vis- 
itor. "  You  are  welcome  to  remain  with  us  till  morn- 
ing if  you  desire,"  she  added,  slowly. 

"  Elsie,  are  you  crazy!  "  cried  the  father. 

"  If  it  will  not  incommode  you  I  shall  accept  you" 
kindness,"  said  Mr.  Hall.  Then  he  added,  smiling, 
"  I  do  not  wish  to  cause  any  difference  of  opinion  in 
the  family." 

Before  Elsie  could  reply  again  Mr.  Gardner  drew 
her  aside  and  expostulated  earnestly.  She  paid  little 
attention  to  him  until  he  uttered  the  words,  "  your 
mother,"  upon  which  she  said  she  would  leave  it  to 
the  invalid  and  abide  by  her  decision. 

"  Will  you  step  into  the  house  a  moment,  sir,  till  I 
can  consult  my  mother?  "  she  said. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 


CHAPTER  V. 

"  YOlfLL  BE  LIKE   MARIAN." 

REMARKING  that,  with  the  young  lady's  permission, 
he  would  remain  outside,  Mr.  Hall  strolled  up  and 
down  the  lawn,  waiting  for  the  verdict.  Mr.  Gardner 
followed  his  daughter  to  her  mother's  room  to  give  his 
version  of  the  question  at  issue,  and  little  Jacob  sidled 
in  after  them.  The  sick  woman  was  prompt  in  ren- 
dering her  decision.  With  a  spare  bed  in  the  house 
and  a  tired  man  outside,  she  had  no  hesitation  in  tell- 
ing Elsie  to  bid  him  welcome. 

"  I  don't  seem  to  amount  to  much  in  this  family/' 
was  Mr.  Gardner's  disheartened  remark,  as  the  decision 
turned  against  him. 

"  You  know  why  I  do  this."  said  the  wife,  wearily. 
"  You  know  very  well." 

"  Now,  don't  always  be  throwin'  that  up  at  me," 
was  her  husband's  snarling  reply.  "  You'll  make  a 
nice  loclgin'  house  for  tramps  here,  jest  on  account  of 
that  boy." 

"  He  may  be  asking  for  a  bed  himself  some  day," 
responded  the  invalid,  wiping  her  eyes. 

As  a  result  of  the  interview  with  her  mother,  Elsie 
showed  the  traveller  to  his  room.  In  response  to  his 
offe;  .0  help  her  about  the  ranch,  she  said  she  would 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  4| 

think  the  matter  over  and  see  what  she  could  find  for 
him.  He  was  not  a  farmer,  nor  used  to  manual  labor 
of  any  sort,  as  one  glance  at  his  hands  proved.  The 
bed  he  would  occupy  would  cost  nothing  and  his  food 
was  too  little  to  think  about.  She  was  glad  the  op- 
portunity had  come  to  her,  and  like  Mrs.  Gardner, 
thought  of  the  especial  reason  why  she  ought  not  to 
turn  him  away. 

Left  in  his  chamber  alone,  Mr.  Hall  took  from  his 
pocket  an  envelope  that  had  been  through  the  mail 
and  opened  two  letters.  Both  bore  signs  of  having 
been  handled  more  than  once,  but  he  read  them  again 
with  keen  interest: 

My  Dear  Mr.  Keith  [one  of  them  began]:  A 
most  distressing  occurrence  compels  me  to  send  you 
these  lines.  The  matter  concerns  Mr.  Victor  Hall, 
out  as  I  do  not  know  his  address  and  think  perhaps 
you  may,  I  communicate  with  you  instead.  You 
remember  the  securities  I  showed  you,  embracing 
the  trust  funds  I  held  for  him.  They  were  done  up 
in  a  brown  paper  parcel,  you  will  recollect,  and  tied 
with  bine  ribbon. 

This  morning  as  some  of  the  dividends  were  com- 
ing due,  I  took  out  the  parcel  and  opened  it. 
Imagine  my  surprise  at  finding  within  nothing  but  a 
lot  of  folded  white  blank  paper!  Diligent  search 
and  inquiries  of  my  assistants  have  failed  to  afford 
any  solution  of  this  appalling  mystery.  Can  you 
offer  a  suggestion  or  hazard  a  guess  as  to  what  has 
happened.  The  worst  of  the  matter  is  that  the  bonds 
are  unregistered  and  consequently  negotiable.  I 
think  Mr.  Hall  should  know  of  the  matter  at  once 
and  beg  you  to  communicate  with  him.  If  nothing 


46  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

transpires  within  a  few  days  I  shall  render  an  ac- 
count of  the  loss  to  the  court. 
Very  Truly, 

RICHARD  A.  MORSE. 

Mr.  Hall  read  this  letter  through  five  or  six  times, 
pausing  long  between  the  readings.  Then  he  took  up 
the  other  letter,  which  was  signed  by  Cyrus  Keith,  and 
read  that  with  equal  -slowness  and  intensity : 

I  have  no  opinion  to  offer  in  this  unpleasant 
business  [said  the  lawyer's  note],  but  I  must  caution 
you  not  to  lose  your  head.  The  bonds  were  in  the 
package  all  right  when  last  we  saw  it.  Who  has 
meddled  with  it  and  substituted  a  false  parcel  I  do 
not  know;  and  neither,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  do  you. 
If  I  were  to  suggest  anything  it  would  be  to  put 
the  affair  quietly  in  the  hands  of  an  experienced  de- 
tective. His  wisest  course,  I  think,  would  be  to 
move  very  slowly,  but  that  would  be  a  matter  for 
his  own  judgment.  If  you  decide  to  return  I  shall 
be  glad  to  see  you,  but  there  is  nothing  you  can  do. 
I  am  ready  to  act  in  your  stead  in  any  reasonable 
and  legal  way  you  may  direct. 

It  was  no  wonder  that  the  perusal  of  these  two  let- 
ters brought  beads  of  perspiration  to  Mr.  Hall's  face. 
He  had  received  them  several  days  before  and  could 
not  yet  make  up  his  mind  what  answer  to  send.  The 
fact  that  he  was  not  permanently  located  would  ac- 
count in  Mr.  Keitih's  mind  for  his  delay  and  it  was  an 
occasion  when  common  sense  was  needed  in  an  un- 
usual degree. 

An  unexpected  knock  on  the  door  disturbed  him  at 
last  and  caused  him  to  start  to  his  feet.  For  a  second 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  4£ 

he  could  not  recollect  where  he  was.  When  it  all 
came  back  to  him  he  hastened  to  open  to  Master  Jacob. 

"  Else  wants  ter  know  if  yer  kin  milk,"  said  he. 
"  Pa's  the  only  one  'round  the  place  that  kin,  an'  he's 
so  upsot  with  your  being  let  inter  the  house  he  won't 
stir  off  the  sofy." 

It  happened  that  Victor  did  know  something'  about 
milking,  having  taken  a  fancy  to  learn  that  art  some 
years  before,  while  spending  a  summer  in  the  country. 
Laughing  at  Jacob's  manner  of  referring  to  his  father, 
he  went  below,  took  up  the  pail  that  was  handed  him 
and  proceeded  to  the  cowyard,  where  he  was  soon 
extracting  the  lacteal  fluid  from  the  udder  of  one  of 
the  bovines  there.  He  had  about  half-filled  the  pail 
when  he  saw  Miss  Elsie  approaching,  and  paused  to 
greet  her  with  a  pleasant  "  good-evening,  "  as  she 
stood  a  little  away  from  him  and  watched  the  process. 

"  You  haven't  always  been  a  tramp,  have  you  ? " 
asked  the  girl,  as  he  resumed  his  task. 

"  Why,  don't  I  look  like  an  experienced  hand  at  the 
business?  " 

She  shook  her  head  decidedly. 

"  I  thought  I  was  doing  it  very  well." 

"  But  you  haven't  always — have  you,  now? "  she 
persisted. 

"Tramped?    Well,  no.    I  used  to  crawl,  I  believe." 

"  Crawl?  "  she  repeated. 

"  Yes,  crawl,  as  the  English  say,  more  correctly  than 
'  creep,'  it  seems  to  me.  Moved  along  on  all  fours, 
you  know.  Tramping  implies  a  swinging  use  of  the 
limbs.  Babies  crawl,  grown  people  tramp." 


48  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

"  But  that  isn't  what  I  mean.  We  call  a  tramp  a 
man  who — '  She  hesitated. 

"  Who  goes  about  from  place  to  place,  with  no  vis- 
ible means  of  support?  " 

Elsie  nodded,  relieved. 

"  No,  I  haven't  always  done  that,  even  since  I  was  a 
man  grown.  And  to  tell  the  truth,  I  don't  want  to 
continue  it  any  longer  than  I  can  help.  Everybody 
doesn't  treat  us  as  well  as  yon." 

She  waited  a  little  while,  to  get  the  next  question 
right.  She  did  not  wash  to  hurt  his  feelings. 

"  Would  you  work,  if  you  found  anything  to  do?" 
she  asked,  finally. 

"  If  it  was  anything  I  was  fitted  for.  I'm  afraid 
there  are  not  many  things  included  in  that  category." 

"  That  cat—" 

"  Category;  list,  you  know.  Most  of  the  men  who 
tramp  do  so,  I  imagine,  because  they  have  no  calling 
or  profession." 

She  watched  the  swift  filling  of  the  milkpail  and 
eyed  the  milker  interestedly. 

"  Would  you  like  to  work  on  a  ranch,  for  people 
•who  couldn't  afford  to  pay  much  wages?"  she  asked, 
with  an  effort. 

He  smiled  up  at  her  in  a  way  that  won  her  young 
heart. 

"  For  you,  do  you  mean?  I  should  like  it  above  all 
things.  But  I  have  a  partial  promise  of  something 
more  remunerative  at  Olluma,  if  I  can  get  there,  and 
I  fear  your  suggestion  is  influenced  by  your  kind  dis- 
position." 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  49 

The  particular  animal  he  was  working  on  had  now 
exhausted  her  supply  of  'milk  and  he  moved  over  to 
the  next  one,  carrying  his  pail  and  stool.  Elsie  fol- 
lowed him. 

"  We  need  somebody  on  this  place,"  she  said,  when 
he  was  again  at  work.  "  Pa  is  not  very  well,  and 
there's  hardly  enough  to  do  to  hire  a  Mexican.  If 
you  don't  succeed  where  you're  going  we  could  give 
you  your  board  and  perhaps  something  else  for  awhile. 
You  can  think  it  over." 

He  could  not  laugh  at  the  proposition,  made  with 
such  seriousness.  She  was  a  pretty  girl  and  he  was 
in  the  full  bloom  of  youth. 

"  I  will  think  it  over,"  he  responded,  gravely. 

There  was  silence  for  several  minutes  after  that,  and 
he  completed  his  work  in  the  meantime.  She  walked 
by  his  side  to  the  house  and  called  Ah  Wing  to  take 
the  pail  from  him.  Then  she  asked  him  if  he  was 
tired. 

"  Not  a  bit,"  he  said.  "  What  else  shall  I  do?  I 
can  chop  some  wood,  if  you  wish." 

No,  there  was  wood  enough  ready.  She  wanted 
to  talk  with  him,  and  they  .strolled  down  to  a  spreading 
liveoak,  beneath  which  a  rough  bench  was  standing. 

"  What  do  you  expect  to  do  at  Olluma?  "  she  asked, 
when  he  was  seated  by  her  side. 

"  Write  in  an  office." 

"  Then  you  have  had  an  education.  But  I  could  tell 
that  from  listening  to  you." 

"  I  have  been  to  school,"  he  said.  "  Is  that  such 
a  remarkable  thing,  in  this  part  of  the  country?  " 


5O  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

She  started  to  say  that  it  was  certainly  remarkable 
in  a  tramp,  but  paused  in  time. 

"  I've  never  been  inside  a  schoolhouse  in  my  life," 
she  remarked,  instead.  "  My  mother  has  taught  me 
some,  but  since  she  has  been  confined  to  her  bed  I 
haven't  made  much  progress.  If  you  should  come 
here  you  could  teach  me  a  great  deal,  I'm  sure." 

"  I  would  do  all  I  could.  And  there  is  the  little 
brother — has  he  never  been  at  school,  either?  " 

"  No.  All  he  knows  I  taught  him,  myself.  He  can 
read  and  figure,  but  he  uses  such  awful  language! 
There's  no  school  near  to  send  him  to.  I  wish  there 
was,"  she  continued,  regretfully.  "  A  boy  needs  to 
know  much  more  than  a  girl." 

"  That's  not  the  modern  idea.  They  are  giving  girls 
the  best  education  they  can,  now-a-days,  in  the  East." 

This  led  her  to  ask  him  if  he  came  from  the  East, 
and  when  he  mentioned  Illinois,  she  said,  with  a  long 
breath,  that  it  was  a  long  way  off.  "  You  must  have 
found  it  tiresome,  walking  so  far,"  she  added,  simply. 

The  sun  had  gone  down  and  the  short  twilight  had 
begun  to  give  way  to  the  early  starlight.  A  voice  came 
from  the  direction  of  the  dwelling — it  was  Jacob's — 
"  Else,  ain't  yer  comin'  in  for  supper?  We're  waitin'." 

"  What  time  is  it?  "  she  asked  Victor.  Then,  when 
he  drew  out  a  watch,  she  exclaimed:  "Why,  that's 
gold!" 

She  had  inquired  for  the  time,  wondering  if  any- 
thing that  would  enable  him  to  tell  hung  at  the  end  of 
t/he  chain  she  noticed  on  his  vest.  The  sight  of  so 
much  luxury  startled  her  greatly,  and  a  half-formed 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION.  51 

suspicion  came  that  her  father  was  right  in  cautioning 
her  not  to  admit  the  stranger  to  their  home. 

"  It  is  nearly  seven,"  he  answered.  "  Yes,  the  watch 
is  gold,  I  believe.  I  have  had  it  a  long  time,  and  I 
don't  like  to  part  with  it  now.  The  truth  is,"  he  con- 
tinued, as  they  walked  toward  the  house,  "I  had  some 
property  once  that  was  left  for  me  in  charge  of  a  trus- 
tee; and  one  day  I  got  word  that  it  had  disappeared — 
been  stolen,  in  fact.  So  there  was  nothing  left  but  to 
look  for  work  and — that's  the  way  I  became  a  tramp. 
I  didn't  mean  to  tell  you,  but  it's  out  now.  Please 
don't  say  anything  about  it  to  the  others.  They  might 
think  I  was  complaining." 

Darius  Gardner  sat  on  the  porch  and  eyed  the  pair 
with  strong  disfavor  as  they  approached.  Victor  un- 
derstood that  he  was  the  cause  of  the  sharp  looks,  but 
thought  the  better  way  was  not  to  notice.  When  Elsie 
told  him  where  to  find  water,  soap  and  a  towel  without 
going  upstairs  and  also  that  his  place  was  ready  at 
the  table  when  he  had  finished,  he  made  his  ablutions 
and  went  into  the  dining  room.  Mr.  Gardner,  on  be- 
ing called,  said  he  was  not  coming — that  he  didn't 
care  for  anything — and  as  Jacob  had  eaten  hurriedly 
and  Mrs.  Gardner  was  unable  to  leave  her  bed,  Mr. 
Hall  and  Elsie  were  again  alone. 

"  Do  you  know,"  said  the  girl,  between  mouthfuls, 
"  I  almost  hope  you  won't  get  that  place  at  Olluma." 
She  had  banished  her  suspicions  'of  him  almost  as 
soon  as  they  came.  "  It's  lonesome  here  and  you 
would  be  a  great  deal  of  company." 

He  was  flattered  by  her  evident  interest. 


52  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

"  If  I  don't  get  the  place  I  shall  accept  your  offer,** 
he  replied.  "  Though  I'm  afraid  your  father  wouldn't 
make  me  very  welcome.  He  doesn't  like  me,  I  can 
see  that." 

"  It's  only  because  he  doesn't  know  you."  She  spoke 
as  if  she  had  been  acquainted  with  him  for  an  indefinite 
period.  "  Mother  will  like  you,  because  you  have  the 
ways  of  a  gentleman,  and  she  was  used  to  such  society 
before  we  moved  here.  Jakey  will  like  you  when  he 
learns  that  you  can  teach  him  things — and  I — I  shall 
make  it  pleasant  as  I  can.  I'm  awful  sorry  you  lost 
your  property.  Isn't  there  any  chance  of  your  ever 
getting  it  back?  I  should  think  you  could  sue  the 
man  who  had  charge  of  it.  He  had  no  right  to 
be  so  careless." 

Something  seemed  to  tell  her  that  the  subject  was  a1 
painful  one  and  she  dropped  it  after  that.  He  began 
to  ask  about  the  products  of  the  ranch,  and  she  told 
him  all  she  knew  of  the  orange  industry  and  the  prices 
of  other  products  of  the  region.  It  was  the  story  famil- 
iar enough  to  most  residents  of  southern  California, 
but  very  new  to  him  then,  of  a  dry  season  and  a 
scarcity  of  water  even  in  the  irrigating  reservoirs. 
There  would  not  be  half  a  crop  of  anything  unless  the 
rains  came  very  soon. 

"  You  speak  as  if  you  were  the  man  of  the  house," 
he  could  not  help  saying,  when  he  had  listened  to  her 
for  a  long  time. 

"  It  amounts  to  that.  With  Ma  sick  abed  and  Pa 
as  you  see  him,  I  have  everything  on  my  shoulders." 


STRA1TOER  THAN  FICTION.  53 

"And  they  are  not  very  strong1  shoulders,  cither," 
he  commented,  with  a  kindly  smile. 

"  Pretty  strong,"  she  answered,  with  a  little  flush. 
"  I  can  carry  things  in  some  way,  I  guess,  till  Jakey 
gets  old  enough  to  relieve  me.  We've  no  mortgage, 
that's  one  comfort,  and  Ma  has  a  little  money  left.  It 
don't  cost  us  much  to  live,  you  see.  If  it  would  only 
rain!" 

In  this  vein  they  conversed  and  the  time  flew  rapidly 
away.  The  voice  of  Mr.  Gardner  finally  broke  in  upon 
them  from  the  hallway. 

"  Elsie,  did  you  know  it  was  after  nine?  It's  time 
the  house  was  quiet." 

With  just  a  suspicion  of  a  frown  on  her  face,  the 
young  girl  asked  her  visitor  to  verify  the  statement, 
which  he  pronounced  correct,  rising  at  the  same  time 
and  making  it  easier  for  her  by  saying  that  he  was 
tired  and  would  be  glad  to  seek  repose.  They  parted 
at  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  and  he  went  to  the  plainly 
furnished  little  room  which  had  been  assigned  him. 
Across  the  bed  lay  a  white  cotton  nightshirt  that  El- 
sie's thoughtfulness  had  provided.  It  was  a  bit  of 
kindness  which,  though  small  in  itself,  pleased  him 
greatly. 

He  had  just  settled  himself  to  sleep,  when  the  sound 
of  low  voices  reached  him  from  the  porch. 

"  li  you  have  any  regard  for  yourself  you  wouldn't 
make  so  free  with  every  tramp  that  happens  along  the 
road." 

"'Sh,  Pa!  He  might  hear  you.  I  haven't  made 
free  with  him.  He's  not  an  ordinary  tramp,  either. 


54  STRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 

He  told  me  he  had  been  to  school,  and  he  carries  a 
gold  watch.  Some  property  that  he  used  to  have — 

Elsie  stopped  short,  remembering  her  promise  not 
to  reveal  what  had  been  told  her  and  her  father's  voice 
was  heard  again. 

"  They  all  talk  the  same  way.  You're  a  headstrong 
girl  and  delight  in  going  contr'y  to  what  I  tell  you. 
You'll  be  just  like  Marian  if  you  keep  on." 

Victor  did  not  mean  to  listen,  but  unless  he  stuffed 
something  into  his  ears  he  could  not  help  hearing.  The 
night  was  so  perfectly  still  that  every  sound  was  clear 
and  distinct. 

"I'm  not  going  to  stay  and  hear  you  abuse  Marian," 
said  the  girl,  in  a  voice  that  contained  a  half  sob. 
"  You  drove  her  away,  as  you  are  trying  to  drive  me. 
This  gentleman  is  going  in  the  morning,  and  probably 
I'll  never  set  eyes  on  him  again.'' 

"  Gentleman!  A  tramp,  from  no  one  knows  where! 
Well,  keep  on!  Have  your  own  way.  We'll  see  the 
end  of  it  some  time." 

A  door  closed,  small  feet  were  heard  ascending  the 
stairs,  and  a  stifled  sound  as  of  suppressed  tears  was 
wafted  through  the  thin  partition. 

Victor  went  to  sleep  at  last,  but  two  questions 
haunted  his  dreams: 

Who  was  Marian  and  what  had  Marian  done? 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 


CHAPTER  V»I. 

JAKEY  AND  THE  "  CIRKIS." 

THE  sun  was  high  in  the  heavens  when  Victor 
avvoke,  and  he  sprang  from  his  bed  with  a  guilty  feel- 
ing that  he  had  been  neglecting  a  duty.  As  long  as  he 
stayed  on  the  ranch  he  should  attend  to  the  milking 
at  least,  to  carry  out  the  character  he  had  assumed. 
When  he  descended  he  sa\v  Mr.  Gardner  coming  from 
the  stable  with  the  full  pails  in  his  hands  and  anything 
but  a  pleasant  expression  on  his  face.  Not  wishing 
to  meet  him  in  these  circumstances,  Victor  walked  in 
the  other  direction  and  found  a  more  agreeable  coun- 
tenance turned  toward  his  in  bright  expectation.  Elsie, 
to  put  him  at  ease,  spoke  first. 

"  I  knew  you  were  tired  from  your — your  walk,  and 
there  was  no  need  of  waking  you.  But  isn't  it  a  lovely 
morning!  I  should  think  those  fleecy  clouds  meant  to 
give  us  a  shower  if  I  hadn't  been  disappointed  so  often. 
"What  is  the  exact  time?  " 

He  drew  out  the  watch,  and  on  opening  it  burst  into 
a  laugh. 

"  It's  only  half-past  four!  Not  so  very  late,  after 
all.  I  must  have  forgotten  to  wind  it.  I'm  afraid  I 
wouldn't  be  a  very  valuable  assistant  on  a  ranch,  I  for- 
get so  many  things.  I'm  sorry,  though,  that  your 


56  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

father  had  to  do  the  milking.  And  he  not  well," 
he  added,  after  a  pause. 

A  strange  look  which  he  did  not  know  how  to  in- 
terpret crossed  the  bright  face  of  the  girl. 

"  I  ought  to  have  learned,  myself,  long  ago,"  she 
said.  "  There'll  be  trouble  some  day,  if  he  really  does 
get  too  sick  to  do  it,  and  no  one  to  take  his  place. 
Perhaps,"  she  smiled  up  into  his  face,  "  perhaps  you 
would  teach  me?" 

"  You  don't  seem  just  made  fora  ranch  girl." 

Her  eyes  glistened. 

"  You  mean — I  seem  good  for  something  better?  " 

"  Something  very  much  better.  And  I  don't  think 
independent  positions  the  best  things  for  women.  I 
think  the  right  destiny  for  you  is  to  become  the  wife 
of  a  good  man — not  a  ranch  owner,  either;  somebody 
who  lives  in  a  town,  let  us  say." 

She  shook  her  head,  as  if  refusing  an  offer  that  had 
actually  been  presented  in  due  form. 

"  I've  thought  all  about  marriage.  Ma's  experience 
is  always  before  me.  It's  not  been  a  success  in  her 
case,  at  least.  You  know  what  an  invalid  she  is,  never 
able  to  leave  her  room,  just  waiting  for  the  end  as 
patiently  as  she  can.  Well,  it  was  my  little  brother 
who  did  that,  to  begin  with.  And  when  she  seemed 
recovering  somewhat  and  we  had  hopes — there  was — 
oh,  no!  I  .shall  never  marry.  I've  seen  too  much  of  it." 

"Ain't  you  goin'  to  (have  no  breakfast  to-day?" 
came  her  father's  harsh  voice  from  the  house  door. 
"  Folks  what's  bin  up  an'  workin'  are  hungry,  whether 
them  what's  done  nothin*  is,  or  not." 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  57 

The  young  people  moved  at  once  toward  the  sound. 
Elsie  whispered  that  her  guest,  for  so  she  had  come 
to  consider  him,  must  not  mind  her  father's  ways,  and 
that  she  hoped  he  would  be  drawn  into  no  controversy 
at  the  table.  This  turned  out  to  be  an  easy  injunction 
to  obey,  as  Mr.  Gardner  ate  the  meal  in  silence,  stuff- 
ing the  food  into  his  mouth,  with  the  evident  intention 
of  carrying  out  the  old  proverb  to  "let  his  victuals 
stop"  it.  There  were  boiled  eggs,  coffee,  some  chicken 
warmed  over,  hot  muffins  and  fruit.  A  farmer  may 
not  have  mu-ch  money  in  his  pocket,  but  his  family 
usually  can  get  enough  to  eat. 

Mr.  Gardner  left  the  table  before  the  others,  and 
young  Jacob,  who  had  been  as  taciturn  as  his  father, 
speedily  followed  him  out  of  the  room. 

"  I  think  I'd  best  start  on  my  walk  to  Olluma,"  said 
Mr.  Hall.  "  Indeed,  I  meant  to  go  still  earlier,  when  I 
retired  last  night.  With  the  rest  that  I  need  at  noon, 
in  the  heat  of  the  day,  I  shall  hardly  arrive  before  sun- 
set. Let  me  thank  you  heartily  for  the  kindness  you 
have  shown  to  a  perfect  stranger,  and  to  express  the 
hope  that  you  will  permit  me,  .some  day  when  I  have 
bettered  my  circumstances,  to  return  and  make  you  a 
call." 

"  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  have  you.  I  wish  you  could 
stay  longer  now." 

"  I'm  afraid  it  won't  do.  I  ought  to  reach  Olluma 
to-night.  If  all  goes  well  there  I  shall  be  at  the  end  of 
my  tramping  for  the  present." 

"  It's  awfully  lonely  here,"  said  the  girl,  In  a  low 
tone.  "  It's  a  real  kindness  to  have  some  one  come. 


•58  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

I  don't  want  you  to  think  of  it  in  any  other  way.  You 
were  so  good,  too,  to  help  with  the  milking.  Well," 
she  added,  choking  down  her  disappointment,  "  if  you 
must  go,  you  must." 

She  left  him  abruptly,  afraid  that  he  would  see  a  tear 
that  lurked  in  a  corner  of  her  eye,  and  which  she  was 
trying  in  vain  to  restrain.  Victor  went  to  his  room 
again,  washed  his  hands,  brushed  his  hair  and,  mutter- 
ing to  himself  that  he  would  be  glad  when  he  got  once 
more  into  touch  with  his  baggage,  descended. 

Ah  Wing  came  to  the  kitchen  door  with  a  little  pa- 
per parcel,  tied  with  a  piece  of  blue  tape.  Victor  stared 
at  it  sharply  and  uttered  an  audible  exclamation.  It 
looked  for  all  the  world  like  the  package  of  securities 
that  had  been  taken  from  Mr.  Morse's  safe — or  at 
least  that  Mr.  Keith  and  he  had  seen  there. 

"  Miss  Else  puttee  up  lunchee,"  said  Ah  Wing. 
"  She  tellee  me  say  good-by.  She  gone  up  stair  and 
no  come  down  now." 

His  first  inclination  was  to  refuse  the  gift;  it  made 
him  look  more  like  a  beggar  than  ever,  and  he  did 
not  want  to  lower  himself  in  her  eyes.  On  second 
thoughts  he  accepted  it  and  telling  Wing  to  express 
his  gratitude,  went  down  the  path  to  the  high  road 
with  it  in  his  coat  pocket. 

A  little  way  >off  in  the  direction  he  was  to  travel  he 
saw  a  small  figure  which  he  had  no  difficulty  in  rec- 
ognizing as  that  of  Master  Jacob  Gardner.  The  lad 
was  sitting  disconsolately  by  the  roadside,  and  on  a 
nearer  approach  it  was  seen  that  his  face  was  grimy 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION.  59 

wvtft  lurrows  A  a:  silly  a  combination  of  tears  and  fist 
pokes  could  give. 

"  Wliy,  Jacob,"  asked  Victor,  "  what  is  the  matter?  " 

It  was  some  time  before  anything  like  an  intelligible 
answer  could  be  obtained,  though  many  sounds  that 
seemed  intended  as  a  reply  to  the  question  came  from 
the  small  mouth.  At  last  Mr.  Hall  thought  he  dis- 
tinguished the  word  "  Cirkis." 

"Circus?"  he  repeated.  "What  about  the  circus, 
Jacob?" 

The  little  fellow  took  his  fists  from  his  face  and 
jerked  one  of  them  toward  the  side  of  the  barn  nearest 
to  them.  Following  the  direction,  Victor  saw  that 
gaudy  posters  emblazoned  with  representations  com- 
mon to  circus  troupes  covered  a  large  area. 

"  Where's  the  circus  going  to  be?  "  he  asked,  grad- 
ually coming  to  the  point  he  wanted. 

"  Brayt'n." 

"Is  it  to-day?" 

"  'Morrer." 

"  Well,  you're  going,  I  suppose?  " 

Out  of  the  torrent  which  followed  this  suggestion 
Victor  gathered,  little  by  little,  that  Jakey  had  set  his 
heart  on  seeing  the  show,  and  that  now,  when  it  was 
right  at  hand,  his  sister  had  told  him  that  she  could  not 
let  him  have  the  money. 

It  was  Elsie  again  at  the  head  of  affairs.  She  was 
both  the  man  and  the  woman  of  the  little  household, 
evidently. 

"Elsie  doesn't  object  to  circuses,  does  she?"  asked 


60  STRANGER  THAN  FICTIOK., 

Victor.    "It**  just  because  she  don't  think  the  can 

afford  it?  " 

"  That's  all.  Lasit  year  an'  the  year  afore  we  went 
tergether.  An'  this  year  it  don'/t  rain  an'  we  don't  have 
nothin'." 

"  Well,  Jacob,  I  think  I  see  a  way  out  of  this.  How 
much  will  it  cost  to  see  the  show?  " 

"  Two  bits,  fer  a  kid  like  me;  four  bits  fer  grown 
folks."  The  boy  was  brightening  wonderfully,  and 
his  face  began  to  glow  with  expectation. 

"Two  bits,  four  bits?"  repeated  the  young  man, 
slowly.  He  had  not  yet  become  accustomed  to  this 
method  of  reckoning  money.  "  That  must  be  a  quar- 
ter of  a  dollar,  and  fifty  cents.  Jacob,  do  you  think 
you  could  keep  a  secret?  " 

"  Yasser." 

"  Then  take  this"  (handing  him  a  small  piece  of  gold) 
"  and  scamper  over  to  Brayton  tomorrow  morning  as 
early  as  you  can.  Get  two  tickets  for  your  father  and 
Elsie,  and  one  for  yourself,  for  the  afternoon.  Ask  for 
reserved  seats;  they'll  cost  a  little  more,  but  never 
mind.  When  you  show  them  to  your  sister  just  say 
a  man  gave  them  to  you.  Don't  tell  her  it  was  I.  If 
you  can't  promise  I  won't  let  you  have  the  money 
at  all." 

Jacob  readily  promised  and  took  the  gold  piece  in 
his  hand,  as  if  he  was  afraid  it  would  be  taken  from 
him.  The  value  of  the  coin  was  two  dollars  and  a 
half. 

"  Yer  ain't  no  tramp!  "  was  the  'boy's  comment,  as 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION.  6t 

he  stepped  back  and  eyed  the  traveller  suspiciously. 
"  What  are  yer,  a  robber?  " 

The  thought  did  not  seem  to  lower  the  stranger  as 
much  as  might  be  expected  in  the  small  brain.  In- 
deed, to  Master  Jacob  a  robber  was  a  sort  of  stage 
hero,  to  be  regarded  in  much  the  same  light  as  a  circus 
rider  or  a  lion  tamer. 

"  We've  got  one  secret  together,  Jakey,"  said  Mr. 
Hall,  "  and  we  may  as  well  have  another.  So  I'll  tell 
you — just  between  ourselves,  mind — I'm  not  a  robber. 
I'll  even  tell  you  a  third  one,  but  you  mustn't  breathe 
it  for  the  world;  I  think  your  mister  Elsie  one  of  the 
prettiest  and  nicest  girls  I  ever  saw." 

Too  late  he  saw  the  angry  flame  kindling  in  the  eyes 
of  the  dirty-faced  lad.  With  every  appearance  of  un- 
trollable  anger,  Jacob,  his  face  convulsed  and  his  fists 
clenched,  threw  the  gold  coin  in  the  -dust  at  Victor's 
feet. 

"  Damn  yer! "  That  was  only  the  beginning.  The 
curses  flew  from  the  little  mouth.  "  If  I  was  big 
enough  I'd  lick  yer  so  yer  couldn't  stand.  I'd  kill  yer!  " 
The  boy  backed  away  and  sought  a  sizable  stone,  fail- 
ing which,  he  picked  up  a  hard  lump  of  earth  and 
threw  it  with  such  accuracy  of  aim  that  only  a  quick 
jump  saved  Victor  from  receiving  it  'full  in  the  face. 
Then,  fearing  punishment,  Jacob  ran  as  fast  as  his 
diminutive  legs  could  carry  him  in  the  direction  of 
home. 

Much  disturbed  and  at  first  not  realizing-  how  he  had 
managed  to  give  so  much  offence,  Mr.  Hall  debated 
whether  it  was  best  to  return  to  the  Gardner  house  and 


62  STRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 

make  his  explanations  and  apologies  to  Miss  Elsie. 
After  reflection  he  decided  that  this  might  only  make 
matters  worse,  and  turned  regretfully  toward  his  des- 
tination. 

He  walked  rapidly,  for  a  torrent  had  begun  to  seethe 
in  his  bosom,  swollen  from  many  little  streams  beside 
ithe  one  that  had  just  joined  it.  The  way  was  dusty, 
the  sun  came  out  hot  and  strong,  but  he  had  youth 
and  health  and  felt  no  weariness.  The  god  of  day  was 
in  the  zenith  when  he  came  to  a  small  apology  for  a 
hotel  and  concluded  to  stop  there  for  lunch.  But  be- 
fore he  had  ordered  the  meal  he  remembered  the  pack- 
age in  his  pocket  and  seeking  a  quiet  corner  removed 
its  wrappings. 

There  were  sandwiches,  and  cake,  and  fruit,  just  the 
kind  of  lunch  he  might  have  expected.  His  face  soft- 
ened as  he  looked  at  the  articles  and  thought  of  the 
little  fingers  that  had  prepared  them  for  him.  There 
was  a  napkin,  too — a  real  cloth  napkin — and  some 
pepper  and  salt  mixed,  in  a  piece  of  brown  paper.  And 
there  was  something  else,  an  envelope  with  a  note  in- 
side! 

"  I  hope  you  won't  think  me  bold  in  writing  this," 
said  the  note,  "but  I  know  few  people  outside  of 
my  own  little  world,  and  I  think  you  may  be  able  to 
aid  me,  with  no  loss  to  yourself.  I  knew  long  before 
you  came  that  life  on  the  ranch  was  not  the  existence 
for  me — that  I  must  seek  another  when  I  could  do  so 
without  neglecting  those  who  depend  on  me.  My  es- 
cape will  not  be  by  the  gate  of  matrimony,  which  so 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION.  6$ 

often  leads  to  a  harder  lot  than  the  one  forsaken.  All 
I  ask,  when  my  family  can  spare  me,  is 'to  live  and  work 
somewhere  among  people  instead  of  on  a  back  road 
where  not  even  one  wagon  passes  sometimes  in  a  day. 
I  want  to  get  a  little  education  too — not  a  grand  one, 
just  enough  so  I  won't  be  ashamed  when  I  meet  ordi- 
nary folks.  If  you  will  kindly  write  me,  when  you  get 
settled  and  have  time,  sending  your  address  so  I  may 
know  how  to  reach  you — that  is  all  I  have  to  ask. 
Again  I  say,  please  don't  think  me  torward.  I  am  like 
a  girl  on  an  island,  which  ships  only  pass  once  in  a 
long  time,  and  I  have  to  wave  my  handkerchief  to  the 
first  one  I  see.  Of  course,  as  I  told  you,  if  you  can 
come  out  here  any  time,  you  will  be  very,  very  wel- 
come." 

Victor  Hall  sat  still  for  some  minutes,  and  then  pro- 
ceeded to  rearrange  the  parcel  exactly  as  he  had  found 
it.  He  tied  it  up  with  the  ribbon,  everything  inside, 
even  to  the  letter — for  that  he  knew  by  heart —  and  put 
the  package  back  in  his  pocket.  Presently  he  went  to 
order  a  meal  prepared  and  after  eating  it  and  taking 
another  rest,  resumed  his  walk. 

The  sun  was  setting  as  he  entered  the  town  of  Ol- 
luma  and  inquired  his  way  to  the  hotel.  As  he  gave 
his  name  the  clerk  said,  "  There's  some  baggage  here 
for  you,  Mr.  Hall.  Shall  I  send  it  to  your  room?" 

Thankful  for  a  chance  to  change  his  apparel,  Vic- 
tor responded  in  the  affirmative.  After  a  bath  and  an 
entire  alteration  of  garment  he  came  down  to  supper. 
As  it  was  not  quite  ready  he  procured  some  stationery 
and  wrote  the  following  brief  note  to  Miss  Gardner: 


64  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

Dear  Miss  Elsie : — A  thousand  thanks  for  your 
thoughtful  parcel  and  communication.  My  address  is 
simply,  "  V.  Hall,  Olluma,"  and  anything  sent  to  me 
here  will  be  received  and  answered. 

I  had  the  misfortune  to  say  something  which 
wounded  the  feelings  of  your  small  brother — just  as  I 
was  leaving  this  morning — to  my  intense  regret.  Lest 
he  should  have  injured  me  in  your  esteem  by  giving  an 
unfair  version  I  must  assure  you  he  had  no  cause  for 
anger.  However,  I  shall  not  hold  any  feeling  against 
the  little  chap.  I  was  only  sorry  that  such  a  pleasant 
visit  as  I  made  at  your  house  should  be  marred  in  any 
way  at  its  close. 

Your  request  is  granted  in  advance.  I  shall  be  de- 
lighted to  place  myself  at  your  service  in  any  way 
agreeable  to  you,  either  now  or  at  a  future  time. 

With  great  respect,  your  Obt.  Servt., 

V.  HALL. 

After  supper  he  thought  it  best  not  to  visit  -the  gen- 
tleman who  was  expecting  him  before  the  next  day, 
and  being  tired  and  sleepy  he  was  soon  in  dreamland. 


4TRANGEK  THAN  FICT1OM.  6$ 


CHAPTER  VII. 

"  IT  WAS  ELSIE  AT  THE  GATE." 

"  1  HAVE  received  your  letter,  my  dear  Keith,  and 
after  some  dyspeptic  qualms  have  succeeded  in  digest- 
ing its  contents."  So  wrote  Mr-  Hall  to  his  friend. 
"  To  say  that  the  dose  is  unpalatable  can  hardly  sur- 
prise you.  That  I  had  been  expecting  some  such  out- 
come, sooner  or  later,  you  know  well.  If  you  ask 
what,  in  my  opinion,  had  best  be  done  about  it,  I  can 
only  say  that  I  have  no  faith  that  the  culprit  will  be  de- 
tected. He  had  a  chance  to  lay  his  plans  too  deeply. 
The  property  is  gone.  I  question  if  the  shrewdest 
'  sleuthhound '  you  can  put  on  its  track  will  get  so 
much  as  a  scent  of  it.  (No  pun  intended.) 

"  I  have  secured  the  sort  of  position  I  wanted  in  the 
office  of  a  lawyer  here,  a  Mr.  Whiteley,  and  am  doing 
my  best  to  fit  myself  for  an  attorney  at  the  California 
bar.  As  I  have  got  to  make  my  way  in  the  world, 
perhaps  it  is  best  the  confounded  inheritance  I  was 
never  to  inherit  is  off  my  mind.  As,  for  some  time  at 
least,  I  can  hope  to  earn  no  income,  and  as  my  means 
are  rather  straitened,  I  may  have  to  accept  your  kind 
offer  and  ask  a  small  loan  for  old  acquaintance'  sake. 
I  do  not  want  anything  now,  but  when  T  do  I  shall 


66  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION,. 

write  freely.  I  calculate  that  $1,000  all  told  will  see 
me  to  solid  ground. 

"  It  is  folly  to  waste  good  money  on  Morse.  A 
quiet  eye  on  his  movements  by  a  non-professional  like 
yourself  may  succeed  in  tracing  something,  after  his 
first  scare  is  over,  but  I  fear  not.  No,  I  shall  not  think 
of  returning.  With  my  impetuous  disposition  I  might 
get  myself  into  the  lockup,  fogetting  the  '  other  cheek ' 
business. 

"  This  is  a  great  country  out  here.  I  can  make  my 
fortune,  as  others  have  done,  and  you  will  see  me  do 
it,  too.  I  shall  think  no  more  than  is  necessary  about 
the  past.  My  face  is  toward  the  morning,  which  in 
this  case  happens,  oddly  enough,  to  be  in  the  direction 
of  the  setting  sun." 

A  few  weeks  later  an  answer  came  from  Mr.  Keith: 
"  I  am  delighted  that  you  are  in  such  good  spirits.  I 
feared  all  sorts  of  things.  I  send  you  a  newspaper 
with  the  latest  phase  of  the  robbery  dished  up  by  an 
ingenious  reporter.  I  might  as  well  confess,  how- 
ever, that  my  opinion  of  the  matter  is  very  much  like 
your  own.  I  shall  keep  an  eye  out  for  your  inter- 
ests and  if  I  see  a  place  to  strike  I  shall  strike  hard. 
In  the  meantime  it  may  be  well  to  follow  your  advice 
and  disarm  suspicion.  I  have  been  questioned  about 
your  address,  but  pretend  ignorance.  You  will  no- 
tice that  the  postmark  on  this  letter  is  from  another 
town." 

And  several  months  later  still,  in  another  letter,  oc- 
curred these  words:  "  Our  friend  Morse  is  certainly  a 
peculiar  chap.  He  called  on  me  yesterday  and  left 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION.  6? 

his  check  to  cover  the  dividends  on  the  stolen  bonds, 
for  the  quarter  just  over,  saying  he  hoped  to  make  the 
entire  amount  good  one  of  these  days  and  would  keep 
up  the  interest  in  the  meantime.  He  left  the  money 
in  my  hands  in  your  absence,  thinking  I  might  in  some 
way  hear  from  you;  so  you  can  have  it  whenever  you 
please  and  will  not  be  obliged  to  borrow.  From  the 
standpoint  of  believing  that  he  robbed  his  own  safe — 
which  is  still  my  opinion,  notwithstanding  what  has 
transpired — I  think  he  is  rather  cunning  in  the  course 
he  has  taken.  However,  it  would  be  folly  to  refuse 
what  we  can  get  and  I  shall  continue  to  take  anything 
he  brings  and  hold  it  subject  to  your  orders. 

"  By  the  way,  I  meet  Miss  Fulton  frequently  and 
she  never  fails  to  inquire  if  I  have  had  a  letter  from 
you.  She  looks  very  anxious,  and  I  fancy  is  grow- 
ing pale.  I  hope  you  did  not  leave  her  with  any  false 
expectations.  A  man  must  'be  above  board  in  his 
dealings  with  women." 

These  letters  disturbed  the  young  law  student,  but 
he  bit  his  lips  and  stuck  to  his  legal  library.  To  offset 
them  he  had,  not  only  one,  but  several  letters  from  a 
certain  young  miss  near  Brayton,  with  whom  he  was 
an  established  and  regular  correspondent.  Her  first 
communication  was  in  answer  to  the  one  he  sent  her 
on  the  night  of  his  arrival,  and  showed  that  no  breach 
had  occurred  in  her  sentiments  on  account  of  his  col- 
lision with  her  small  brother.  Subsequent  ones  were 
devoted  to  doings  on  the  ranch  and  the  writer's  aspira- 
tions for  a  life  outside  its  confined  area,  not  omitting 
hopes  for  Mr.  Hall's  success  in  all  things. 


68  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION, 

me  newspaper  v^ich,  according  to  Mr.  Keith,  con- 
tained something  of  interest  in  relation  to  the  missing 
securities,  never  arrived,  and  after  inquiring  at  the 
post  several  times,  Mr.  Hall  dismissed  the  matter  from 
his  mind.  He  thought  if  it  was  anything  of  especial 
value  Mr.  Keith  would  have  dwelt  more  upon  it. 

When  June  arrived,  Victor  thought  of  a  vacation 
and  the  Gardner  ranch  occurred  to  him  as  an  eminently 
proper  place  at  which  to  spend  it.  He  wrote  a  letter, 
half  serious,  half  jocose,  to  Elsie,  inquiring  if  her  folks 
ever  took  summer  boarders,  and  saying  he  would  be 
glad  to  help  out  with  the  milking  or  any  other  light 
work,  besides  paying  a  reasonable  sum  for  accommo- 
dation. Her  answer  came  as  soon  as  the  mails  could 
bring  it,  declaring  that  he  would  be  more  than  wel- 
come and  that  anything  like  pecuniary  payment  was 
not  to  be  thought  of.  If  he  could  put  up  with  the 
frugal  table  and  poor  quarters  on  the  ranch  they  were 
entirely  at  his  disposal.  She  added  that  she  had  con- 
sulted her  mother  about  the  matter  and  that  Mrs. 
Gardner  seconded  her  invitation  warmly. 

It  was  evidently  not  necessary  to  consult  her  father 
or  Master  Jacob,  otherwise  the  verdict  might  have 
been  different.  But  Victor  hoped  by  management  to 
disarm  the  opposition  of  both  these  personages  in  time. 

He  hired  for  little  more  than  an  agreement  to  take 
good  care  of  it,  a  fair  horse,  buggy  and  harness,  and 
drove  over  the  road  on  which  he  had  tramped  to  Ollu- 
nra  in  the  preceding  January.  A  mile  on  the  hither 
side  of  the  farmhouse  he  saw  a  small  figure  by  the  side 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  09 

of  the  road,  which  as  he  came  closer  he  recognized  a» 

Jakey. 

"  Hallo!  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Hall.  "  I  thought  it  was 
you.  Jump  in  and  ride.  I'm  going  straight  to  your 
house." 

"  Nobody  wants  yer  there,"  came  from  between  the 
set  lips.  "  Yer'd  better  turn  your  horse  'round  and 
go  home." 

"Well,  that's  not  very  hospitable!  You  shouldn't 
keep  up  your  spite  at  me  for  something  I  meant  all 
right.  Get  in,  that's  a  good  boy." 

Jacob  showed  no  intention  of  complying  with  the 
request. 

"  If  yer  go,  it's  at  yer  own  risk,"  he  persisted,  darkly. 
"  Pa  don't  like  yer,  an'  he'll  let  yer  find  it  out,  the 
first  thing  yer  know.  They've  sot  down  on  him — • 
Ma  an'  Else  have — but  he's  made  up  his  mind.  An* 
when  Pa  get's  sot,  he's  orful." 

It  was  not  a  very  cheerful  outlook.  Mr.  Hall  be- 
gan to  think  perhaps  he  would  best  not  have  come. 
It  would  not  do  to  back  out  now,  though.  In  the  dis- 
tance he  could  see  a  tiny  speck  at  the  house  gate  that 
he  felt  sure  was  Elsie,  who  was  probably  awaiting  him 
with  expectancy. 

"  I'm  much  obliged  for  your  advice,  Jakey,"  he  said, 
"  but  when  I'm  invited  to  visit  people  I  must  be  my 
own  judge  about  accepting.  If  you  don't  care  to 
ride,  you  needn't;  but  you  may  want  to  take  this  team 
alone  some  time  and  you'd  best  keep  on  the  right  side 
of  the  owner." 

Sc  saying  he  started  up  his  animal  and  proceeded 


JTO  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION,.; 

at  a  trot,  with  the  parting  salutation  of  the  boy  ringing 
in  his  ears:  "  You'll  wish  y'  hadn't!  Yer'll  wish  yer'd 
gone  when  yer  was  told." 

Yes,  it  was  Elsie  at  the  gate,  and  she  waved  her 
hand  to  him  as  soon  as  she  was  quite  sure  it  was  he. 

"  I'm  very  glad  to  see  you,  Mr.  Hall,"  she  said,  be- 
fore he  could  spring  from  the  wagon.  "  I  was  afraid 
something  had  detained  you.  Who  were  you  talk- 
ing with  back  there  in  the  road?" 

When  he  told  her  it  was  Jacob  she  looked  worried 
and  expressed  a  hope  that  the  boy  had  not  said  any- 
thing disagreeable. 

"  What  made  you  think  he  might?  " 

(He  led  the  horse  to  the  barn,  she  following. 

"Oh,  he  takes  such  funny  fits!  This  family,  as  I 
think  you  must  have  noticed,  gets  broken  into  two 
sections  sometimes.  Jakey  always  sides  with  Pa,  but 
Ma  and  I  make  a  majority." 

"  I  fear  I  ought  not  to  stay  here  unless  I  can  give 
your  father  a  better  opinion  of  me,"  he  remarked, 
gravely.  "  I  shall  try  my  best  to  bring  him  around, 
but  if  I  can't  possibly — " 

"There,  there!"  she  interrupted,  "don't  begin  to 
threaten,  when  I've  only  just  got  sight  of  you.  I 
think  the  best  way  when  folks  are  unreasonable  is  to 
let  them  sulk  it  out.  The  ranch  belongs  to  Ma  an' 
she  wants  you  here." 

He  smiled  at  the  casuistry  and  she  took  hold  with 
a  hand  more  practiced  than  his  to  help  unharness. 

"  I  have  thought  of  a  scheme  to  win  your  father 
over,"  said  Mr.  Hall,  as  they  walked  toward  the  house. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  J\ 

"Will  you  leave  the  means  entirely  to  me  and  not 
complain  if  I  succeed?  " 

She  nodded  wonderingly.  Supper  was  ready,  but 
she  made  him  come  to  her  mother's  room  for  a  few 
minutes,  where  the  invalid  added  her  hopes  to  those 
of  her  daughter  that  he  would  enjoy  his  rest  and  re- 
main as  long  as  he  found  it  agreeable. 

Neither  Mr.  Gardner  nor  his  son  came  to  the  table 
that  evening,  which  disturbed  the  visitor  somewhat. 
He  could  hear  their  low  voices  on  the  porch  outside 
and  fancied  that  all  sorts  of  uncomplimentary  things 
were  being  said  about  him.  Elsie  did  her  best  to 
brighten  the  meal,  keeping  him  busy  in  listening  to 
and  answering  questions.  When  Victor  rose  he 
signed  that  she  should  leave  him  alone  for  the  pres- 
ent, to  give  him  a  chance  for  his  proposed  interview 
with  her  father.  Realizing  that  even  a  surly  dog  is 
better  natured  when  his  stomach  is  full  he  strolled  off 
into  the  field  to  allow  Mr.  Gardner  to  partake  of  his 
meal  undisturbed. 

It  was  nearly  nine  when  Elsie,  who  was  waiting 
anxiously  for  him,  saw  her  visitor  approaching  the 
house  and  her  father  walking  peaceably  by  his  side. 
She  had  been  distressed  by  their  long  absence  to- 
gether in  the  direction  of  the  orange  grove,  for  she 
feared  the  outcome. 

"  Then  I  can  stay  with  your  full  consent?  "  she  over- 
heard Mr.  Hall  inquire,  as  her  father  left  him  to  enter 
the  doorway. 

"  Yes.     But  it  is  with  your  solemn  promise—" 


^2  STRANGER  THAN  FICTiOrf. 

The  voice  fell  and  she  could  not  guess  the  conclud- 
ing words. 

"You've  made  it  all  right  with  him!"  she  cried, 
when  she  and  Victor  were  again  alone. 

"  Yes,  Elsie.  And  you're  not  to  ask  questions. 
I  can  stay  without  danger  of  a  quarrel  with  your  re- 
spected sire,  and  that,  I  trust,  will  be  accepted  by 
your  guardian  angel  brother  for  himself  as  well." 

"  I'm  so  glad!  I  was  afraid  he  would  induce  you 
to  leave  us,  and  I  simply  couldn't  have  endured  it. 
I've  been  so  lonely!  And  I've  looked  forward  to 
this  for  so  long!  " 

"  I  suppose  we  ought  to  be  going  in,"  he  said, 
glancing  at  his  timepiece. 

"No,  indeed!  It  was  only  because  Pa  wanted  to 
be  hateful  that  he  said  those  things  the  other  time  you 
were  here.  I'm  often  up  till  ten  and  it's  not  nine 
yet.  Let  us  sit  down  on  the  bench  under  that  tree. 
I  want  to  tell  you  how  I  first  found  out  you  were  not 
a  tramp.  You  remember  the  gold  piece  you  offered 
Jakey?" 

He  tried  to  pretend  ignorance,  but  she  proceeded: 

"  He  threw  it  on  the  ground  because  you  said  some- 
thing he  didn't  fancy.  He  tried  to  tell  me  what  you 
said,  but  I  wouldn't  let  him;  I  knew  it  wasn't  any- 
thing that  need  make  him  act  like  that.  Well,  it 
seems  that  after  getting  over  the  worst  of  his  temper 
he  went  back  and  picked  up  that  money.  He  took 
it  in  a  piece  of  paper  to  the  arroyo  to  wash  the  pollu- 
tion of  your  touch  from  it,  and  then  went  over  to 
Brayton  with  some  other  boys  and  had  an  awful  time 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  ?3 

with  lemonade  and  peanuts  at  the  circus.  He  went 
both  afternoon  and  evening;  and  as  we  didn't  know 
where  he  was  we  had  a  scare  before  he  turned  up.  I 
wondered  where  he  got  the  money  and  had  all  kinds 
of  fears  till  I  forced  him  in  the  morning  to  confess 
the  truth. 

" '  And  so  you  took  the  gentleman's  money  and 
spent  it  after  abusing  him  as  you  did!'  I  said.  'It 
wasn't  his  money  then/  ne  retorted;  '  It  was  anybody's, 
when  I  found  it  on  the  ground,  and  I  had  a  right  to 
do  as  I  liked  with  it.'  Such  an  argument!  Now, 
tell  me,  why  did  you  want  to  make  me  think  you  a 
beggar  when  you  had  gold  to  throw  away  on  saucy 
boys?" 

"  It  came  about  in  a  queer  way.  I  had  no  idea  your 
folks  would  take  me  for  a  tramp  till  they  had  done 
so,  and  then  the  joke  was  funny  enough  to  keep  up. 
I  asked  if  I  could  get  some  food,  as  no  hotel  came  in 
sight  and  I  was  hungry.  I  expected  of  course  to  pay 
for  it.  When  you  all  decided  I  was  a  tramp  I  was 
amused  and  didn't  think  it  worth  explaining." 

"What  were  you  walking  for?  " 

"Simply  because  I  had  overslept  in  the  morning 
and  the  stage  had  gone  off  without  me.  I  took  this 
road  because  I  was  told  it  was  pleasanter  and  more 
hilly,  just  to  get  the  view.  And  I  got  one."  he  added, 
"  that  I  wouldn't  have  missed  for  a  great  deal." 

Elsie  understood  and  reddened.  She  was  not  used 
to  compliments  and  they  tasted  sweet  to  her.  Then 
they  talked  of  various  things  till  he  felt  it  wise  to  look 


74  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

at  his  watch  again.     It  was  past  ten  now  and  he  sug- 
gested— not  she — that  they  should  retire. 

When  Elsie  had  locked  the  door  she  heard  a  light 
step  on  the  porch  and  went  back  to  open  it.  It  was 
Jacob,  whom  she  supposed  in  bed  long  before.  He 
slid  by  her  and  ran  up  stairs,  disdaining  to  answer 
the  questions  she  put  to  him  in  her  astonishment. 


STPANGER  THAN   FICTION.  7$ 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

NEWCOMER  TO  THE  RANCH. 

MR.  HALL  seemed  to  get  along  very  well  with  the 
Gardner  faimily,  for  some  time  after  this.  Elsie  liked 
him,  and  Mrs.  Gardner  thought  him  one  of  the  most 
agreeable  young  men  she  had  ever  known.  Her 
husband  kept  his  bargain  and  the  reader  may  as  well 
know  the  cause.  A  little  arrangement  to  pay  a  weekly 
sum  for  board  and  to  put  the  amount  into  Mr.  Gard- 
ner's hands  without  letting  the  others  know  anything 
about  it,  settled  the  whole  business.  Gardner  had 
certain  wants,  largely  in  the  refreshment  line,  which 
he  had  great  difficulty  in  meeting.  The  purse  of  the 
household  was  kept,  of  necessity,  by  the  women  folks, 
and,  as  he  brought  nothing  to  the  common  fund  and 
the  treasury  was  always  low,  he  had  been  forced  to 
all  sorts  of  measures  to  gratify  his  thirst.  Now  he 
was  to  have  seven  dollars  a  week,  paid  in  advance,  for 
a  month  or  more.  Visions  of  unlimited  stimulants 
overcame  his  paternal  instincts,  and  even  his  natural 
disposition  to  oppose  anything  his  wife  fancied. 

As  Elsie  had  said,  Master  Jacob  sided  with  his 
father  in  most  things,  and  when  he  found — though  he 
did  not  know  the  cause — that  Mr.  Gardner  looked 
with  a  kindlier  eye  on  Mr.  Hall,  the  boy  laid  a  part 


76  STRANGER  THATf  FICTION. 

at  least  of  his  own  feelings  on  the  shelf  for  the  pres- 
ent. He  did  not  speak  to  the  guest,  but  neither  did 
he  throw  stones  or  hard  pieces  of  earth.  He  accepted 
the  situation  for  the  present,  reserving  all  rights,  as 
the  advertisements  say,  to  change  his  course  if  at  a 
later  time  it  seemed  advisable. 

Among  the  things  that  Victor  had  brought  in  his 
wagon  was  a  gun  and  a  box  of  cartridges,  with  which 
he  intended  to  kill  something  if  possible  before  his 
vacation  was  over.  There  were  in  the  range  of  moun- 
tains back  of  the  ranch  a  few  deer,  and  once  in  a  while 
the  tracks  of  a  puma  (mountain  lion)  were  seen. 
After  a  few  days  he  began  to  make  excursions  in  the 
hope  to  capture  one  of  these  animals,  the  more  dan- 
gerous preferred.  Although  he  did  not  succeed  in 
his  quest  for  some  time  he  had  the  exhilaration  of  the 
long  tramps  and  found  it  a  pleasant  change  from  the 
monotony  of  ranch  life.  For,  pleasant  as  his  little 
talks  and  strolls  were  with  the  young  daughter  of  the 
house,  Victor  was  too  active  to  be  able  to  live  by  that 
kind  of  bread  alone. 

One  evening  he  found  an  unanticipated  variation 
to  existence  in  the  Gardner  home.  As  he  returned 
from  an  unproductive  hunt  he  noticed  a  new  figure 
on  the  veranda,  that  of  a  young  woman  of  about  his 
own  age.  She  was  sitting  pensively  on  a  low  chair, 
with  her  hands  clasped  together  about  one  of  her 
knees,  the  leg  to  which  it  belonged  being  crossed 
easily  over  the  other.  Victor's  quick  glance  showed 
that  the  girl  was  of  good  form  and  of  interesting 
features.  He  was  of  the  opinion  that  she  would  be 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  77 

an  acquisition  to  the  household  if,  as  he  hoped,  she 
intended  to  make  more  than  a  temporary  stay  in  it. 
He  walked  slower,  to  keep  the  vision  unaware  of  his 
presence  as  long  as  possible.  When  at  last  the  girl 
noticed  his  approach  she  rose  as  if  slightly  disturbed 
and,  turning  her  face  from  him,  entered  the  house.  A 
moment  later  Elsie  came  out  and  greeted  him.  It  was 
easy  to  see  that  she  had  been  weeping,  though  she 
had  evidently  tried  to  remove  all  traces  of  tears  from 
her  eyes. 

He  looked  rather  than  spoke  the  natural  inquiry. 

"  Oh,  it's  Marian,"  she  said,  in  a  low  tone. 

"Ah!" 

"  My  sister,  who  has  been  away  for  some  time." 

'  I  didn't  know  you  had  a  sister." 

"  I  hardly  knew  I  had,  myself,"  she  said,  and  then 
seemed  sorry  for  the  expression.  She  wanted  to  get 
a  little  farther  from  the  door,  so  they  would  not  be 
overheard.  "  I  don't  know  how  much  you  care  to 
hear  or  how  much  I  ought  to  tell  you,  but — well,  the 
truth  is,  she  went  away  some  years  ago  on  account 
of— father." 

He  noticed  her  reddening  cheeks  and  in  a  kindly 
tone  said,  "  Elsie,  don't  tell  me  any  more.  There  is 
no  reason  I  should  hear  it.  Has  she  come  back  to 
live  here — that's  all  you  need  to  say." 

"  We  haven't  got  as  far  as  that.  She  only  came 
an  hour  ago.  Ma  is  failing  fast,  you  know,  and 
Marian  is  like  one  of  the  eyes  in  her  head." 

"  It's  going  to  crowd  you,"  he  remarked.  "  I  must 
be  occupying  her  bedroom.  I  will  get  a  room  af 


78  STRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 

some  house  in  the  neighborhood  and  come  here  every 
day,  just  the  same." 

"The  idea!  She  can  sleep  with  me,  can't  she? 
Don't  you  think  of  such  a  thing.  I  shall  feel  badly 
if  you  speak  of  it  again.  Come  in  now  and  let  me 
introduce  you.  Or  if  you  like  I'll  fetch  her  out." 

He  said  it  should  be  as  she  pleased  and  she  adopted 
the  latter  plan,  in  order  not  to  disturb  the  invalid,  who 
\vas  passing  a  very  nervous  day. 

"  Air.  Hall,  my  sister  Marian." 

Marian  had  started  to  extend  her  hand  in  welcome, 
but  at  the  mention  of  his  name  she  paused  abruptly. 

"Mr.  Hall!"  she  repeated,  as  if  much  startled. 

"Victor  Hall,  at  your  service,"  he  said,  at  which  she 
grew  more  confused  than  ever. 

"  Take  your  seat,  Miss  Gardner,  from  which  I  am 
afraid  I  drove  you  away,"  he  said,  realizing,  though 
unable  to  understand  her  embarrassment. 

Elsie  went  into  the  house  to  see  to  the  dinner  and 
the  couple  were  left  alone. 

"  I  have  been  absent  from  home  for  some  time," 
Marian  said,  trying  to  compose  herself,  "  and  find  my 
mother  quite  ill.  The  air  of  her  chamber  has  made 
me  faint,  I  think.  I  hope  you  will  excuse  my  seem- 
ing lack  of  cordiality.  Do  you  live  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, Mr.— Hall?"' 

"No,  at  Olluma;  but  I  am  passing  a  short  vacation 
here  with  your  people.  I  came  from  Illinois  less 
than  a  year  ago." 

Again  there  were  signs  of  disturbance  in  the  young 
woman's  brain.  She  mastered  her  emotions  with  an 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  79 

effort,  and  turned  the  conversation  to  matters  con- 
cerning the  weather  and  the  scenery.  With  much 
tact  he  succeeded  in  making  himself  agreeable,  and  by 
the  time  they  were  called  to  the  evening  meal  they 
were  on  easier  terms.  Marian  astonished  him  by  a 
certain  superiority  of  manners  and  education  to  the 
rest  of  her  family,  except  possibly  the  mother.  He 
could  hardly  connect  her  in  a  sisterly  capacity  with 
the  little  wood  violet  called  Elsie  or  the  strange  com- 
pound called  Jacob.  Did  the  time  she  had  spent 
away  from  the  family  account  for  the  great  difference? 
If  so.  she  must  have  learned  rapidly. 

"I  hope  you  have  come  home  for  a  long  stay,  Miss 
Marian,"  he  said,  when  the  supper  was  over  and  he 
found  himself  on  the  porch  alone  with  her  again. 

"You — hope — so?"  she  repeated,  vaguely. 

"  It  must  be  pleasant  for  you  to  get  back;  and  I 
can  see  that  to  your  sister  and  mother  your  return 
has  given  much  joy." 

She  did  not  seem  to  have  any  answer  ready,  and  he 
branched  off  on  the  subjects  of  scenery  and  weather, 
and  finally  to  that  of  himself,  relating  with  many  a 
merry  laugh  how  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  her 
family,  when  they  mistook  him  for  a  tramp. 

"  The  mistake  was  quite  natural,"  said  he,  "  for  I 
had  lost  the  stage  that  morning  and  was  covered  with 
dust.  Your  little  sister  got  me  to  milk  the  cowrs,  and 
I  even  offered  to  work  out  my  lodging  on  the  wood- 
pile. When  she  saw  how  industrious  I  was  she  pro- 
posed to  give  me  employment  on  the  place  till  I  could 
get  something  better  to  do,  and  that  night  I  occupied 


80  STRANGER  THAN   FICTION^ 

the  room  I  now  have.  It  was  a  strange  beginning 
to  a  charming  acquaintance,  for  I  had  no  friends  in 
California  at  that  time.  When  I  got  settled  at  study- 
ing law  in  Olluma  I  wrote  a  few  letters  to  Miss  Elsie, 
and  when  vacation  time  arrived  I  secured  permission 
to  spend  it  on  this  ranch.  I  am  enjoying  myself  im- 
mensely, and  the  only  fly  in  the  ointment  is  the  fact 
that  I  shall  have  to  return  to  my  books  so  soon." 

Marian  struggled  for  some  moments  with  a  ques- 
tion that  rose  to  her  lips  and  that  she  tried  in  vain  to 
down.  At  last  it  came  out  bluntly: 

"  Are  you  any  relation  to  a  gentleman  of  your 
name,  who  lived  in  Stromberg? " 

"  That  is  where  I  came  from." 

"  But,  it  was  not  you — was  it — who  had  the  mis- 
fortune— " 

His  bright  face  clouded. 

"To  lose  my  inheritance?      Yes." 

"  I  saw  it  in  the  papers,"  she  said,  "and  when  I 
heard  your  name  it  struck  me  you  might  be  the  one." 

She  was  controlling  her  voice  with  difficulty,  which 
did  not  escape  his  observation. 

"  Let  us  talk  of  something  else,"  he  said.  "  To 
tell  the  truth  I  am  doing  my  best  to  forget  everything 
in  connection  with  that  affair.  It  altered  the  course 
of  my  life,  but  I  am  getting  used  to  the  changed  con- 
el  itions.  Ah,  here  is  your  sister." 

Elsie  looked  from  one  of  them  to  the  other,  as  if  in 
wonder  what  they  had  been  talking  about.  Mr. 
Hall  could  not  yet  decide  whether  the  sisters  were 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  Si 

especially  fond  of  each  other  or  not.      There  seemed 

a  certain  constraint  between  them. 

"  I  ought  to  go  in  and  stay  with  mother,"  said  Ma- 
rian, rising. 

"  She  is  asleep/'  replied  Elsie.  "  If  you  are  going 
to  be  with  her  all  night  you  may  as  well  get  the  pure 
air  while  you  can.  I  haven't  had  time  to  ask  you 
yet  how  long  you  expect  to  stay." 

With  a  moment  of  hesitation,  Marian  answered 
that  she  did  not  know.  She  would  remain  as  long 
as  she  could  do  any  good.  Mr.  Hall  began  to  think 
they  might  wish  to  talk  unhampered  by  his  presence, 
and  asked  them  to  excuse  him  while  he  went  for  a 
short  stroll.  There  was  a  full  moon  that  had  already 
risen  and  the  evening  was  nearly  as  light  as  day. 

"  I'll  go  with  you,  if  you  want  me,"  Elsie  called 
after  him,  but  he  answered  that  he  would  only  take  a 
few  turns  up  and  down  the  road  and  return  soon. 
When  he  was  gone  the  first  question  that  Marian  put 
to  her  sister  was  concerning  him. 

"  Don't  you  think  it  a  little  forward,  dear,  to  invite 
yourself  to  accompany  a  man  on  a  moonlight  walk?  " 

"Now,  stop!"  cried  Elsie,  deeply  wounded.  "It 
sounds  too  much  like  things  you  used  to  say  to  me 
when  I  was  a  little  girl.  You  went  off  and  left  me  to 
manage  things  and  I'm  running  them  my  own  way. 
Just  because  you've  taken  a  fancy  to  come  back  for 
awhile,  don't  think  you  can  lord  it  over  those  who've 
stayed  at  home." 

There  was  not  the  least  bit  of  anger  in  the  tone,  but 
a  quiet  determination  that  counted  for  much  more. 


82  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

Marian  thought  the  matter  sufficiently  important  to 
speak  upon  it  a  little  further. 

"  Don't  be  cross,  pet.  Mr.  Hall  has  been  telling 
me  how  he  made  your  acquaintance.  He  seems  a 
pleasant  young  gentleman,  and  I  think  you  would 
like  to  retain  his  esteem.  Men  notice  it  when  girls 
act  too  fond  of  their  company.  If  he  had  asked  you 
to  go,  I  should  not  have  said  a  word." 

Elsie's  anger  had  already  vanished  and,  drawing 
her  chair  nearer  to  her  sister,  she  slipped  one  arm 
around  her  neck. 

"  Tell  me  all  you've  been  doing,  Mannie,"  she  said, 
coaxingly. 

"  There's  not  much  I  can  tell,  Elsie.  You  know 
the  trouble  between  me  and  father.  I  took  up  the 
side  of  Paul,  and  after  that  he  gave  me  no  peace.  I 
am  sensitive  and  couldn't  bear  the  things  he  said,  nor 
could  I  reply  to  him  in  the  same  kind  of  language.  I 
talked  it  over  with  mother  and  she  admitted  that  I 
might  as  well  go.  I  knew  it  was  hard  for  her,  but  I 
had  great  hopes  and  thought  I  would  be  able  to  earn 
something  to  help  the  rest  of  you,  besides  taking  off 
the  burden  of  my  support.  I  know  you've  thought 
I  was  to  be  envied,  but  the  world  is  not  such  a  charm- 
ing place  as  it  looks  from  a  distance.  It  is  hard  and 
cold  and  sometimes  cruel.  When  I  got  your  letter 
telling  how  mother  was  sinking  it  was  no  sacrifice  to 
return.  I  went  away  with  almost  nothing  and  I've 
come  back  with  a  little  to  help  out  her  small  store." 

The  stillness  of  the  summer  night  enveloped  the 
two  girls  and  no  sound  broke  the  silence  till  the 
younger  spoke  again. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  83 

"You  seem  so  different,  Mannie;  so  much  older 
and  wiser — " 

"  I  am  older  and  hope  I  am  wiser,  dear." 

"  And  so  much  better  educated.  Have  you  been 
to  school  since  you  went  away?" 

"  Yes,  I  have  been  at  school.  I  have  learned  many 
things,"  was  the  dreamy  response. 

"  If  you  worked  all  day  you  must  have  got  your 
education  at  a  night  school?  " 

Marian  nodded  in  confirmation.  The  sisters' 
cheeks  were  touched  lovingly  together. 

"  I  don't  want  you  to  go  away  again,"  said  Elsie. 
"  It  was  awfully  lonesome  here,  before  Mr.  Hall 
came." 

"  After  he  went,  I  think,"  smiled  the  other.  "  After 
he  came  and  went  again,  that  was  when  you  began 
to  notice  the  difference,  wasn't  it?  " 

Elsie  flushed  and  turned  away  her  face. 

"  I  knew  you  would  think  something  like  that,"  she 
said,  "  but  it's  not  so.  I'm  not  one  of  your  fall-in- 
love  girls.  I've  seen  enough  of  marriage.  He's  a 
real  gentleman  and  I  like  him,  but  that's  all.  And 
it's  all  there  ever  will  be." 

A  dark  little  form  could  be  seen  down  by  the  fence, 
crouched  on  the  ground,  and  both  the  girls  noticed  it 
at  the  same  time. 

"  If  you've  got  any  influence  with  Jakey  I  wish 
you'd  try  to  make  him  use  my  company  decent," 
Elsie  said,  as  she  realized  the  situation.  "  He  began 
by  throwing  things  at  Mr.  Hall,  and  then  by  saucing 
him;  and  now  he  spies  on  every  step  he  takes." 


84  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION* 


CHAPTER  IX. 

"  YOU  JEST  LET  ELSE  ALONE." 

MR.  HALL'S  vacation  came  to  an  unwelcome  end, 
both  to  him  and  to  the  Gardner  girls.  For  Marian  had 
learned  to  like  him  and  knew  she  would  miss  him  from 
the  little  circle.  Her  uneasiness  in  his  presence  gave 
way  to  an  entirely  opposite  feeling.  She  grew  to  re- 
gard him  as  a  sort  of  big  brother,  and  he  seemed  to 
entirely  reciprocate  this  sentiment. 

"  There's  one  thing  you  might  do  for  me  before  you 
go,"  said  Elsie  to  her  guest  a  week  before  the  day  set 
for  his  departure.  "  You  might  teach  me  to  load  and 
fire  that  rifle  of  yours  and  leave  it  till  you  come  again. 
I  don't  suppose  there's  much  game  running  around 
in  Olluma,  and  you  won't  need  it  there." 

"  With  pleasure,"  he  answered,  "  but  I  must  warn 
you  in  advance  that  it  is  not  a  weapon  to  be  trifled 
with.  It  is  apt  to  kick  pretty  hard,  sometimes,  unless1 
you  are  very  careful  when  you  put  it  to  vour  shoulder. "j 

The  girl  laughed  merrily. 

"  It  will  be  no  new  experience  to  me.  I'm  quite  used 
to  things  that  kick — I've  had  a  father  and  a  young 
brother,  you  know."  Then  she  seemed  repentant  at 
having  said  so  much  and  her  brow  clouded.  "  Really, 
Mr.  Hall,  when  you  come  to  think  of  it,  we  ought  t<? 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  85 

have  some  kind  of  a  weapon  here — 'Marian  and  I — 
alone  as  we  are,  so  far  from  any  settled  neighborhood. 
All  the  tramps  that  come  along  may  not  be  as  agree- 
able as  you  were,  and  the  sight  of  a  steel  barrel  has 
been  known  to  be  of  value." 

So  Victor  took  the  rifle  and  showed  her  how  it  was 
loaded,  and  the  right  way  to  take  aim.  He  stood  by 
her  side  when  she  fired  her  first  shot  at  a  live  oak,  and 
though  she  missed  it  at  fifty  feet  distance,  he  said  that 
was  by  no  means  remarkable.  He  got  an  old  news- 
paper and  pinned  it  to  the  trunk  and  made  her  try 
again,  till  at  last,  to  her  great  pride,  she  tore  a  hole  in 
one  corner,  and  began  to  consider  herself  a  marksman 
of  merit.  When  she  held  the  gun  a  little  too  lightly 
against  her  shoulder  and  uttered  a  slight  cry  of  pain 
as  the  smoke  cleared  away,  he  rubbed  the  sore  spot  so 
gently  that  she  was  not  sorry  for  the  accident.  Before 
the  trial  was  over  for  the  day  she  had  made  sufficient 
improvement  to  justify  his  prediction  that  she  would 
yet  become  an  expert. 

He  thought  it  best  to  suggest  to  Marian  that  she 
take  a  few  lessons  in  the  same  line,  and  took  equal 
pains  to  show  her  the  points  of  the  weapon.  The  girl 
had  even  better  success  at  the  start  than  her  sister,  and 
he  declared  that  she  would  make  a  genuine  hunter  if 
she  kept  at  it. 

"  You  have  decided  to  remain  at  home  for  some 
time,  I  understand?"  he  added,  in  an  interrogative 
form.  Elsie  had  gone  into  the  house. 

"  Of  course  I  would  not  leave  mother  in  her  pres- 
ent condition.  Even  if  she  is — taken  from  us,  I  don't 


86  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

See  how  I  would  be  justified  in  going  at  once.  When 
I  went  before,"  she  seemed  to  cthink  a  defence  for  that 
proceeding  necessary,  and  yet  did  not  know  how  to 
make  it,  "  there  were  special  reasons.  Elsie  had 
mother  to  direct  her,  and  they  got  along  very  well 
without  me.  If  she  is  left  without  her  guidance  it  will 
be  quite  another  thing.  I  shall  either  'have  to  break 
up  the  home  and  take  her  with  me,  or  stay  and  make 
the  best  of  it.  Father  is  so,  so — helpless,  you  know, 
he  could  do  nothing  without  her;  and  my  little  brother 
is  only  a  child.  I  shall  have  to  stay," 

After  her  life  in  a  more  thickly  settled  community 
the  ranch  was  evidently  not  the  place  she  would  have 
chosen;  duty  was  at  war  with  inclination.  He  formed 
an  enhanced  estimate  of  her  character  on  the  spot. 

"  It  is  a  pity  you  have  no  older  brother — "  he  began, 
and  wondered  why  she  started  at  the  words.  "  I  would 
be  glad  to  fill  that  position  to  the  best  of  my  ability," 
he  continued,  in  a  bantering,  yet  half  serious  tone,  "  if 
you  lived  near  Olluma.  You  have  all  been  so  kind 
that  I  shall  miss  you  terribly  when  I  go  back  to  my 
law  office." 

She  asked  him,  after  a  pause,  how  soon  he  would  be 
admitted  to  practice  and  if  he  intended  to  stay  in  Ol- 
luma when  he  was  a  full-fledged  member  of  the  bar. 
And  he  told  her  that  he  would  reach  that  distinction 
within  a  year  and  that  Mr.  Whiteley,  in  whose  office 
he  was  studying,  had  already  offered  him  a  partnership 
when  that  time  came,  which  he  thought  he  should  ac- 
cept. He  liked  California  and  believed  his  future  was 
to  be  connected  with  that  State. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  87 

"  What  will  be  your  specialty,  for  I  suppose  you  will 
have  one? "  s'he  inquired. 

"  Ob,  I  mean  to  seek  a  general  practice.  One  can 
hardly  divide  it  into  specialties  in  a  place  no  thicker 
settled  than  Olluma.  I  shall  try  to  thoroughly  book 
myself  on  the  land  and  mining  laws,  for  one  thing,  but 
if  my  services  are  sought  by  some  chap  who  wants  the 
scales  of  justice  tipped  a  bit  in  his  favor  I  shan't  refuse 
my  aid — at  least,  if  he  has  enough  money  to  pay  my 
fee.  If  any  one  in  this  family  breaks  the  laws,  though, 
I  promise  in  advance  to  defend  you  gratis,"  he  con- 
cluded, with  a  smile,  which  she  did  not  seem  to  appre- 
ciate. 

"  I  want  you  to  send  me  a  few  books,  so  that  I  can 
teach  Elsie,"  said  Marian,  as  they  walked  toward  the 
house.  "  You  know  what  she  needs.  Send  the  bill 
with  them  and  I  will  remit  the  money.  I  don't  know 
any  too  much  myself,  but  the  poor  child  will  grow  up 
in  absolute  ignorance  unless  I  make  an  effort.  If  the 
crop  should  be  good  this  year  I  would  like  to  send  her 
to  a  boarding  school.  She  is  a  bright  girl,  if  I  do  say 
it,  and  fond  of  reading." 

He  endorsed  this  statement  warmly. 

"  A  very  bright  girl.  And  a  very  sweet  one,"  he 
said. 

The  one  of  whom  they  were  speaking  met  them  at 
the  door  and  asked  smilingly  what  they  had  found  so 
interesting  to  talk  about.  She  had  watched  them  from 
the  window  after  the  firing  was  ended. 

"  We  were  talking  about  you  principally,"  responded 
Mr.  Hall.  "  Your  sister  was  saying  that  you  were  a 


88  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

very  bright  girl,  and  I  was  adding  that  you  were  a  very 
sweet  one  beside.  Now  don't  get  puffed  up  with  pride, 
for  we  may  both  be  mistaken.  I  am  going  to  send 
down  some  school  books  for  you  and  expect  you  to 
be  fitted  for  the  University  by  the  time  I  come  next 
year." 

"  You  aren't  going  to  stay  away  from  us  as  long  as 
that!  " 

There  was  almost  a  wail  in  the  young  voice. 

"  You  may  find  me  in  your  Christmas  stocking,  if 
you  hang  it  in  the  right  place  and  look  very  sharp," 
he  said,  brightly.  "  It  can  only  be  for  a  day  or  two, 
though.  I'll  try  and  make  a  brief  visit  if  you  decide 
you  really  want  to  see  me  and  say  as  much  through 
the  mail." 

His  good-by  to  Mrs.  Gardner  was  affecting.  Feel- 
ing that  she  might  never  see  him  again  in  this  world 
she  took  the  opportunity  to  commend  her  loved  ones 
to  him  and  to  express  the  hope  that  when  he  found 
them  motherless  he  would  exercise  what  care  over 
them  he  was  able.  He  took  the  usual  course  of  say- 
ing the  things  he  did  not  believe,  in  relation  to  her 
prospects  of  improved  health,  and  predicted  that  she 
would  be  sitting  up  to  welcome  him  when  Christmas 
arrived.  On  leaving  the  room  he  stooped  and  kissed 
the  pale  forehead  and  felt  a  renewed  conviction  that 
Azrael  hovered  very  near  the  lowly  roof. 

Mr.  Gardner,  who  had  kept  his  agreement  to  treat 
his  guest  good-naturedly  (which  as  he  had  been  in- 
toxicated most  of  the  time  during  his  stay,  was  not 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  89 

difficult),  shook  hands  with  him  and  said  he  was  sorry 
he  was  going. 

Mr.  Hall  made  a  last  effort  to  be  reconciled  with 
[Master  Jacob,  seeking  him  out  in  the  barn  for  that 
purpose. 

"  I'm  off  for  Olluma  to-day,  Jakey,"  said  he,  "  and 
I'm  not  coming  back  till  Christmas.  What  do  you 
want  me  to  bring  you  then — a  pair  of  skates  or  a 
sled?" 

"  Nothin',"  was  the  short  answer  and  the  boy's  eyes 
were  bent  sullenly  on  the  barn  floor. 

"  You're  determined  to  keep  on  hating  me,  are 
you?  Now,  that's  very  foolish.  I  told  Elsie  exactly 
what  I  said  when  you  got  angry  with  me,  and  she  didn't 
think  it  was  anything  to  cause  such  feelings." 

"  She's  a  fool!  "  snapped  the  lad,  his  eyes  looking  up 

at  last  and  flashing.  "  She's  a  d d  fool;  but  /  ain't! 

I'm  growin'  older  every  day,  too,  an'  bigger,  an'  when 
I'm  your  size,  jest  you  look  out!  " 

"Oh,  pshaw!"  was  the  only  reply  Mr.  Hall  could 
make. 

"Pshaw!  You  don't  know  us  Gardners!  My 
brother  did  up  a  man  bigger' n  you  when  he  wa'n't  six- 
teen, an'  I'm  ten  now!  If  you  don't  want  no  trouble, 
keep  away,  that's  what  you  do!  " 

Here  was  a  revelation!  His  brother?  Victor  had 
never  heard  there  was  another  son  in  the  family.  He 
could  understand,  if  what  Jakey  said  was  so,  why  there 
had  been  no  effort  to  give  him  that  information.  Per- 
haps this  secret  was  the  cause  of  Marian's  trouble  with 
her  father.  He  would  have  liked  to  know  all  about  it. 


90  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

but  he  could  not  ask  questions  of  either  of  the  other 
members  of  the  family,  and  he  did  not  dream  of  in- 
quiring of  neighbors  whose  houses  he  must  pass  on 
his  homeward  drive.  If  the  matter  at  which  Jacob 
hinted  had  been  before  the  courts,  perhaps  Mr.  White- 
ley  would  know;  and  yet  he  did  not  like  to  ask  him, 
either. 

"  Well,  Jakey,"  he  said,  as  he  turned  away,  "  if  you 
won't  take  a  Christmas  present  from  me,  perhaps  you 
might  find  one  hanging  on  a  tree  around  the  yard 
when  the  25th  of  December  comes.  If  gold  pieces  can 
be  picked  up  by  the  side  of  the  road,  a  pair  of  skates 
or  a  sled  might  get  out  of  Santa  Claus'  sleigh  and  fall 
among  the  branches  of  a  eucalyptus." 

The  boy  was  evidently  torn  between  his  tendency 
to  sulkiness  and  his  desire  to  possess  what  he  was 
likely  to  get  in  no  ordinary  way. 

"  If  I  found  anythin'  like  that  on  this  place — an'  it 
didn't  belong  to  nobody — an'  nobody  couldn't  brag1 
over  me  that  they  give  it  to  me — or  throw  their  gener- 
ousness  at  my  head,  I  wouldn't  let  it  stay  there  an' 
spoil,"  he  said,  finally,  and  with  a  great  effort.  "  But 
that  wouldn't  make  no  difference  with  me  if  I  found  a 
man  foolin'  with  my  sister  and  gittin'  her  stuck  on  him, 
jest  meanin'  to  t'row  her  down." 

The  dark  suspicion  that  had  been  lurking  so  long 
in  this  diminutive  brain — too  young,  one  would  think, 
to  even  understand  its  significance — struck  Victor 
Hall  like  a  blow  in  the  chest. 

"  I  respect  and  esteem  your  sisters,  Jakey,  as  much 
as  if  they  were  mine,"  he  said,  impressively. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  9 1 

"  Let  Else  alone,  then!  "  was  the  retort.  "  If  yerVe 
got  to  have  any  nonsense,  why  don't  yer  take  the  other 
one.  She's  used  to  fellers  like  you.  But  yer  let  Else 
alone!  If  yer  don't,  yer'll  wish  yer  had." 

The  small  speaker  took  himself  out  of  the  way,  leav- 
ing his  auditor  more  thunderstruck  than  ever.  What 
did  the  midget  mean!  Used  to  fellows  like  him!  Was 
there  a  dark  chapter  in  Marian's  history  that  accounted 
for  her  absence  from  home  and  the  mysterious  way  in 
whkh  she  returned  to  it?  Mr.  Hall  wished  heartily 
that  he  had  left  the  ranch  without  this  interview.  Sus- 
picions like  these  were  disagreeable  enough  without 
having  them  fostered  by  a  member  of  the  family. 

And,  if  it  were  true,  what  Jakey  had  almost  led  him 
to  believe,  was  it  right  to  have  sweet  little  Elsie  under 
the  influence  of  such  a  sister?  Marian  would  be  the 
natural  head  of  the  family  now,  while  she  remained. 
The  mother  wras  sick — she  could  not  know.  The  father 
was  worse  than  useless  in  such  an  emergency.  Victor 
felt  troubled  exceedingly.  He  wished  he  either  knew 
more  or  had  heard  less.  It  was  very  aggravating  just 
as  he  was  going  away. 

It  had  never  occurred  to  him  to  set  himself  up  as 
a  protector  of  innocence  and  he  did  not  feel  entirely 
fitted  to  the  role.  What  could  he  do?  He  put  off  his 
departure  one  day  more,  in  the  hope  that  something 
would  transpire  to  relieve  the  situation. 


92  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION, 


CHAPTER  X. 

A  BUSINESS  MATTER. 

"  I  WISH  you  would  look  into  a  business  matter  for 
me  while  you  are  near  Brayton,"  wrote  Whiteley  to 
Hall,  in  a  letter  that  he  received  the  following  morning'. 
"  A  man  named  Beal  is  at  work  on  a  gold  mine  some- 
where in  that  section  and  he  tells  big  stories  of  his 
prospects.  If  half  he  says  is  true  (of  which  you  must 
be  the  judge)  I  shall  try  to  raise  a  few  thousands  to 
help  him  push  his  work.  He  has  reached  the  end  of 
his  small  pile  and  will  make  any  terms." 

In  the  course  of  his  drives  and  strolls  in  the  neigh- 
borhood Mr.  Hall  had  noticed  that  mining  was  one  of 
its  industries.  Inquiries  had  failed  to  show  that  any 
very  rich  deposits  had  been  found,  but  occasionally  a 
hard  worker  had  succeeded  in  earning  big  wages.  He 
knew  exactly  where  Beal  was  digging  and  it  was  very 
likely  on  account  of  a  talk  with  him  that  the  miner 
had  addressed  his  letter  to  the  Olluma  lawyer.  White- 
ley  was  not  a  capitalist  himself,  but  he  might  be  able 
to  secure  the  necessary  sum  to  still  further  work  the 
mine  if  convinced  that  there  were  big  profits  in  store. 

Mr.  Beal  was  tunnelling  only  a  few  feet  from  the 
boundary  line  of  the  Gardner  homestead,  and  after 
reading  the  letter  Mr.  Hall  went  over  and  had  a  long 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  93 

interview  with  him.  According  to  the  owner  of  the 
claim,  the  sum  of  $5,000  would  of  a  certainty  bring 
fortune  to  the  investor.  He  backed  his  statements  with 
certain  things  in  the  way  of  proof,  and  in  response  to 
the  direct  question  offered  half  of  the  entire  plant  for 
the  $5,000  mentioned,  or  a  third  of  it  for  the  insignifi- 
cant sum  of  $1,500.  Asked  what  he  would  take  to  sell 
out  entirely  he  declared  that  he  would  live  on  roots 
and  wear  his  ringers  to  the  bone  before  he  would  dis- 
pose of  more  than  a  half  interest.  Mr.  Hall  took  sam- 
ples of  ore  with  him  to  show  to  experts  and  left  with  a 
very  favorable  impression. 

Mr.  Gardner,  who  happened  to  see  him  talking  to 
Beal,  pooh-poohed  at  the  idea  of  the  man's  claim  hav- 
ing more  than  a  nominal  value.  He  said  the  miners  in 
that  section  had  been  at  work  for  years  and  had 
averaged  less  than  if  they  had  stuck  to  the  surface  of 
the  earth.  His  opinion  was  not  likely  to  count  for 
much,  however,  with  the  investigator,  and  Mr.  Hall 
only  listened  out  of  politeness  while  the  man  rattled  on. 

"  I  wish  some  fool'd  come  along  an'  buy  my  place," 
he  said.  "  There's  just  as  likely  to  be  gold  under  it  as 
any  of  the  others.  I'm  sick  an'  tired  o'  livin'  here.,  out 
o'  the  world.  You  couldn't  find  some  nice,  easy  berth 
for  me  around  Olluma,  could  you?  " 

"  Nice,  easy  berths,"  such  as  Mr.  Gardner  seemed 
to  desire,  are  not  very  plentiful  anywhere  in  this  world 
and  least  of  all  in  a  growing,  pushing  California  town. 
Besides,  Victor  knew  that  the  ranch  belonged  to  the 
wife,  and  that  she  was  in  no  condition  to  think  of 


94  STRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 

moving,  even  if  the  "fool"  sought  lor  should  be  found 
and  come  forward  with  his  money. 

In  the  course  of  a  talk  that  he  had  with  the  elder 
sister,  after  lunch,  Mr.  Hall  inquired  what  would  prob- 
ably be  her  plan  of  action  in  the  event  of  her  mother's 
demise.  She  had  led  him  to  introduce  the  subject  by 
remarking  that  Mrs.  Gardner  could  live  but  a  short 
time  longer  at  the  farthest. 

"  Would  you  and  the  others  be  likely  to  remain  here, 
in  that  case? " 

"  I  don't  know,"  was  her  dispirited  reply.  "  Mother, 
ill  as  she  has  been  for  so  long,  is  the  band  that  ties  us 
together.  Elsie  and  Jacob  are  too  young  to  go  off  by 
themselves,  and  father  is  as  little  fitted  for  it  as  they. 
It  is  my  duty  to  remain  with  them,  wherever  they  are, 
though  the  glimpse  I  had  of  a  wider  life  makes  it 
doubly  hard." 

"  Have  you  no  relations  who  would  take  the  little 
sister  and  see  to  her  for  a  few  years?  "  he  asked,  guard- 
edly. 

"  No,  we  are  quite  alone." 

"  If  a  chance  came  to  sell  the  place  and  move  into 
a  town  where  there  are  schools?" 

"  Oh,  in  that  case  I  presume  \ve  would  accept  it; 
but  it  is  very  unlikely.  There  is  no  demand  for  ranches 
here.  The  uncertainty  of  the  rain-fall  is  the  curse  of 
this  part  of  California.  The  only  people  who  succeed 
are  those  who  have  capital  and  can  afford  to  wait." 

Her  tone  was  sad  and  he  was  extremely  sorry  for 
her. 

"  Supposing  I  should  learn  of  some  nice  family  that 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  95 

would  give  Elsie  a  home?  "  he  began;  but  she  stopped 
him  by  a  look. 

"  And  leave  me  to  bear  this  alone?  No,  I  could  not 
do  that.  Besides,  I  must  guard  Elsie  if  I  am  left  in 
place  of  her  mother.  Strangers  would  not  meet  the 
case  at  all." 

"  Have  you  ever  had  any  other  brothers  or  sisters?  " 
he  asked,  in  what  was  meant  to  sound  like  a  casual 
way. 

A  covert  glance  was  shot  at  his  face,  and  then  she 
answered :  "  I  had  one  brother,  but  we  lost  him  some 
years  ago." 

He  could  not  go  farther  into  the  subject,  much  as  he 
wanted  to  know  about  it,  and  he  smiled  on  Elsie  as  she 
came  to  call  Marian  to  attend  the  invalid.  He  thought 
it  strange  she  should  take  up  the  very  subject  that  had 
been  in  his  mind. 

"  I  have  been  wondering,"  she  said,  "  if  you  couldn't 
find  something  for  me  to  do  at  Olluma.  My  family 
used  to  be  well  enough  off  to  put  such  things  out  of 
the  question,  but  that's  over  now,  and  I  don't  see  the 
sense  of  false  pride.  Marian  thinks  it  would  be  a  reg- 
ular disgrace  to  go  into  a  shop,  to  sell  goods,  make 
dresses  or  trim  hats.  If  you  could  find  a  place  for  me 
I'd  try  hard  to  make  her  see  things  as  they  are.  There's 
no  way  of  making  a  living  for  all  of  us  here,  and  we 
might  as  well  face  the  fact." 

He  looked  sympathetically  at  the  earnest  young  face. 

"  Perhaps  she  thinks  you  too  young  to  go  off  alone," 
said  he.  "  There  are  trials  and  even  dangers  to  which 
you  'are  not  subjected  at  home." 


96  STRANGER  THAN  FICTIOH. 

She  moved  her  chair  nearer  to  his   and  put  one  of 

her  hands  on  his  knee  with  perfect  confidence. 

"  But  you  would  be  there.  If  any  trouble  came  I 
could  go  to  you  with  it.  I  talked  with  her  last  night 
for  an  hour  and  spoke  about  this — and  she  wouldn't 
hear  a  word.  I  believe  she  thinks  I  would  be  a  burden 
to  you  and  doesn't  like  to  impose  on  good  nature." 

"  No,  Elsie,  it  is  not  that.  She  knows  a  young 
man  of  twenty-three  is  not  considered  a  suitable  chap- 
eron for  a  girl  of  sixteen,  when  he  is  no  relation  to  her 
family." 

"  Oh,  bother!  I  guess  you  and  I  could  take  care  of 
ourselves.  If  I  get  desperate  I  shall  just  tie  up  some 
things  in  a  bundle  and  run  away.  When  Mannie 
couldn't  stand  it  that's  what  she  did,  and  now  she 
wants  to  lecture  me!  " 

The  cheeks  flushed  and  the  eyes  sparkled  with  de- 
termination. 

"  Did  Marian  go  alone?"  he  inquired,  gravely. 

"  N-no,"  Elsie  made  haste  to  get  away  from  the 
subject,  into  which  she  had  been  drawn  farther  than 
she  intended.  "  Oh,  well,  I  shall  stand  it  as  long  as  I 
possibly  can,  and  then — " 

He  understood  that  when  the  point  indicated  arrived 
there  would  be  a  sudden  alteration  of  the  young  life, 
nnd  he  told  her  in  kind  tones  that  she  must  do  nothing 
without  writing  to  let  him  know.  He  was  always  to  be 
reached  in  a  clay  or  two,  and  his  advice  might  be  of 
value.  She  half  promised  what  he  asked  and  then  ac- 
companied him  to  the  stable.  The  Mexican  they  now 
hired  regularly  to  work  about  the  place  helped  them 


STRANGEB  THAN  FICTION,  97 

put  the  horse  Mr.  Hall  had  brought  into  the  buggy. 
She  got  in  with  him,  to  drive  up  to  the  house  door, 
where  the  last  good-bys  were  to  be  said,  and  then  an- 
nounced to  Marian  that  she  was  going  to  ride  just  a 
little  way  up  the  road.  The  sister's  face  expressed  dis- 
sent from  the  plan,  but  she  did  not  like  to  put  her 
thought  into  words.  Elsie  was  determined  and  Mr. 
Hall  uttered  his  farewells  and  drove  through  the  gate 
with  her. 

He  let  the  horse  walk,  being  willing  to  prolong  the 
time,  and  for  some  minutes  neither  uttered  a  word. 

"  I  think  you  will  have  to  get  out  here,"  he  said 
at  last,  drawing  in  the  reins.  "  It  will  be  quite  a  walk 
for  you  as  it  is." 

She  held  up  a  woebegone  face  and  gasped  several 
times. 

"  I  wish  you  hadn't  got  to  go  at  all,"  she  sobbed. 
"  Or  else  that  I  could  go,  too.  I  don't  know  what  I 
shall  do  without  you!  " 

"  Hush!  "  he  whispered.  "  You  will  help  take  care  of 
thoce  you  love.  And  you  will  study  hard  in  the  books 
I  am  going  to  send.  And  you  will  practice  with  my 
rifle  till  you  can  go  out  by  yourself  and  kill  a  deer.  And 
you  will  write  me  a  letter  every  week.  And  you  will 
count  the  days  till  Christmas,  when  I  am  coming 
again." 

She  bit  her  lips  and  tried  her  best  to  smile,  but  the 
gasps  came  frequently  and  tears  fell  from  her  eyes. 

"  I  mustn't  do  this!  "  she  cried,  springing  from  the 
bug-gy.  "  I  was  sure  I  wouldn't  let  you  see  ma  crya 


98  STRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 

but  it  came  of  its  own  self.  Yes,  I'll  do  as  you  say. 
Good-by,  good-by!" 

She  fairly  ran  away  from  him  and  he  started  up  his 
horse  at  a  trot.  For  the  next  hour  he  wore  almost 
as  sad  a  face  as  the  one  he  had  left,  but  the  effect  grad- 
ually wore  away.  He  stopped  thinking  of  Elsie  and 
dwelt  again  on  the  insinuations  he  had  heard  regarding 
Marian.  What  could  have  happened? 

He  put  together  the  bits  of  evidence  that  had  come 
to  him,  like  parts  of  a  puzzle.  Several  years  before 
she  had  suddenly  left  home.  A  disagreement  with  her 
father  over  his  treatment  of  a  brother  was  the  imme- 
diate cause.  This  brother  had  "  done  up  a  man," 
according  to  the  expressive  phrase  of  Jakey,  "  when 
he  wasn't  sixteen."  And  the  girl  had  left  home — Elsie 
said  "  not  alone  "  in  answer  to  his  question — and  re- 
mained away  for  a  long  time.  Neither  the  mother  nor 
the  younger  sister  nor  any  one  else  had  ever  mentioned 
to  him  that  she  existed.  It  was  probable  that  she  was 
to  them  a  thing  of  the  past,  and  till  the  last  minute  they 
did  not  expect  her  to  return. 

If  'she  had  no  relations  near  enough  to  send  Elsie  to, 
it  was  natural  to  suppose  she  had  not  been  spending 
her  long  absence  with  any  herself.  She  had  gone  away 
probably  with  almost  nothing  in  the  way  of  funds 
and  returned  with  much  better  clothing  than  the  others 
of  her  family  could  boast. 

Mr.  Hall  fitted  the  pieces  of  the  puzzle  slowly  to- 
gether, but  it  was  still  incomplete. 

She  did  not  leav«  home  alone.  With  whom  did 
she  go? 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  99 

Suddenly  it  came  to  him,  as  natural  as  anything. 
Why,  she  went  with  the  missing  brother,  of  course; 
the  one  her  father  had,  to  her.  mind,  ill-treated. 

Where  was  the  brother  now?  Marian  had  said  he 
'  was  "  lost,"  evidently  meaning  to  convey  the  idea  that 
he  was  dead.  Victor  wondered  if  this  was  so. 

When  he  reached  Olluma,  Mr.  Whiteley  listened 
with  interest  to  the  report  he  had  to  make  about  the 
Beal  mine  and  took  the  samples  of  ore  to  have  them 
assayed.  The  young  student  settled  down  to  the  work 
which  had  accumulated  in  his  absence,  only  pausing 
to  read  the  following  from  Mr.  Keith: 

"  Morse  has  brought  in  another  payment  on  the 
dividends  of  the  stolen  bonds,  and  it  is  at  your  service 
whenever  you  choose  to  write  for  it.  I  have  nearly 
$1,000  now  from  him.  His  game  is  just  as  deep  to  me 
as  ever.  I'm  sorry  for  the  young  fellow,  but  there's 
nothing  I  can  do  for  him,  of  course.  ("  What  does 
he  mean  by  that?  "  mused  Victor.)  You  covered  your 
tracks  well.  Nobody  here  knows  were  you  are,  for  I 
am  asked  frequently.  Glad  you  are  satisfied  with  your 
place  and  that  you  are  going  into  the  firm.  Your  loss 
may  turn  out  in  the  end  the  best  thing  that  could  have 
happened,  though  I  suppose  it  will  be  hard  to  make 
you  see  it  that  way.  I  met  Miss  Fulton  again  yester- 
day and  she  made  the  usual  inquiry.  She  does  not 
look  at  all  well." 

At  the  end  of  the  week  Elsie's  first  letter  since  his 
departure  came  to  brighten  his  spirits,  which  any  com- 
munication in  reference  to  the  Morse  incident  always 
served  to  dampen.  She  was  feeling  better,  she  said, 
and  looking  forward  now  to  his  December  visit. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 


CHAPTER  XI. 
"THERE  WAS  ANOTHER,  i  THINK — A  SON?" 

THE  books  Victor  had  promised  for  Elsie  Gardner 
were  duly  sent  and  he  heard  from  time  to  time  that 
she  was  taking  great  interest  in  her  studies.  She 
hoped  to  improve  so  much  before  he  came  again  that 
he  would  see  the  change.  It  was  evident  that  a  de- 
sire to  stand  high  in  his  opinion  was  her  principal  rea- 
son for  wishing  to  acquire  an  education  and  that  his 
influence  over  her  was  distinctly  good.  Occasionally 
a  letter  came  also  from  Marian,  but  her  manner  of 
addressing  him  was  more  formal  and  business-like. 
There  was  nothing  in  any  of  the  communications, 
however,  to  throw  light  on  the  mysteries  that  inter- 
ested him. 

The  investigation  which  Mr.  Whiteley  had  started 
into  the  question  of  Beal's  mine  resulted  in  the  for- 
mation of  a  company  to  develop  that  property.  An 
Eastern  gentleman  of  means  who  was  staying  at  Ol- 
luma  lent  Whiteley  and  Hall  the  $5,000  required  to 
secure  a  half  interest,  taking  their  notes  instead  of 
stock.  He  had  apparently  more  faith  in  their  honor 
than  in  the  prospects  of  the  venture.  According  to 
the  original  understanding  this  $5,000  was  applied  to 
developing  and  extending  the  mine. 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION.  IOI 

It  was  soon  apparent  that  the  schera«  was  likely  to 

be  a  paying  one.  Mr.  Whiteley  went  out  to  the  place 
several  times  and  did  what  business  was  required,  re- 
turning quite  enthusiastic. 

Mrs.  Gardner,  who  had  held  out  wonderfully,  suc- 
cumbed at  last  to  her  disease.  A  brief  note  from 
Elsie  begging  Mr.  Hall  to  come  if  possible  to  the 
funeral,  caused  him  to  drop  everything  and  take  a 
drive  to  the  stricken  home. 

"  Mother  wanted  so  much  to  see  you  at  the  last," 
said  the  girl,  when  the  particulars  of  the  more  impor- 
tant story  had  been  related.  "  The  doctor  said  you 
could  not  get  here  in  time  or  I  would  have  sent  for 
you  then.  She  had  a  lawyer,  though,  from  Bray- 
ton,  and  when  he  went  away  he  left  a  package  for 
you.  It's  about  something,  I  think,  that  she  wanted 
you  to  do  when  she  was  gone." 

The  package,  when  opened,  proved  to  be  the  lady's 
last  will  and  testament.  It  was  brief  and  simple, 
giving  what  she  had  to  Mr.  Hall  as  trustee,  to  provide 
for  her  family  as  might  seem  best  to  his  judgment. 
It  made  him  also  guardian  of  the  minor  children,  in 
case  her  husband  should  be  pleased  to  waive  his  rights 
in  that  respect,  as  she  evidently  thought  he  would  be 
glad  to  do. 

Victor  was  staggered  for  a  moment  by  the  weight 
of  the  responsibility  thrust  upon  him,  as  well  as  affect- 
ed by  the  confidence  reposed. 

"  Do  you  know  what  this  is,  Elsie?  "  he  asked,  as 
she  looked  into  his  anxious  eyes.  "  It  is  your  moth- 
er's will  and  it  asks  me  to  take  charge  of  her  estate." 


IO2  STRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 

"  I'm  so  glad!  "  was  the  impetuous  reply.  "  There's 
very  little  to  take  charge  of  and  it  won't  be  any 
trouble.  I  don't  think  there's  much  but  the  ranch 
left  now." 

"  But  there's  something  else,"  he  continued.  "  If 
your  father  consents,  she  wants  me  to  be  guardian  of 
you  and  Jacob  during  your  minority.  That's  a  more 
serious  matter." 

She  tried  to  understand  and  finally  asked  him  why 
it  was  serious. 

"Well,  let  us  take  Jakey,  for  one  thing.  How  do 
you  think  he  would  like  to  be  placed  under  my  au- 
thority? There'd  be  trouble  from  the  start.  And 
you,  dear;  why,  I'd  make  the  worst  guardian  in  the 
world  for  you.  I  like  you  so  well  you  could  do  just 
as  you  liked,  which  is  not  the  best  thing  always  for  a 
girl  of  your  age.  I  don't  think  I  can  take  such  a  re- 
sponsibility. There's  Marian,  now  she's  more  than 
twenty-one  and  ought  to  serve." 

A  look  of  distress  crossed  the  young  face. 

"  If  Ma  had  wanted  Marian  she  would  have  put  it 
in  the  paper,"  said  she.  "Don't  make  up  your  mind 
yet.  We'll  talk  it  all  over  together  before  you  go 
back." 

Mr.  Gardner  received  the  visitor  coldly  and  Jakey 
acted  as  he  had  always  done.  The  great  loss  they 
had  sustained  had  not  had  the  effect  of  entirely  sooth- 
ing either  of  these  strange  natures.  In  response  to 
Victor's  request  to  know  how  he  could  serve  him  in 
this  sad  emergency,  Gardner  mumbled  that  there 
wasn't  a  dollar  in  the  house,  or  if  there  was  the  others 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION". 

were  keeping  it  carefully  from  him.  He  wante3  a 
few  little  things,  a  black  tie  and  a  new  pair  of  shoes, 
for  instance,  and  if  Mr.  Hall  could  lend  him  the 
amount — " 

Five  dollars  was  at  once  handed  him,  with  the  re- 
sult that  he  went  to  the  village  and  returned  the  next 
day  without  the  tie  or  the  shoes,  but  with  full  evidence 
of  having  drank  heavily.  Marian  sighed  when  she 
noticed  his  condition  and  begged  him  with  tears  not 
to  touch  another  drop  till  the  funeral  was  over  at  least. 
The  father  muttered  in  a  sheepfaced  way  that  he  had 
only  taken  a  little  medicine  to  help  him  bear  his  sor- 
row. Before  noon  she  found  a  pint  of  whiskey  in 
his  room,  which  she  hid  and  refused  to  give  up  when 
he  came  to  demand  it  from  her.  By  this  means  the 
husband  was  forced  to  attend  his  wife's  funeral  in  a 
sober  if  somewhat  dazed  condition. 

The  minister  who  came  to  read  the  service  was,  with 
the  exception  of  half  a  dozen  curiosity-mongers,  the 
only  outsider  there.  He  was  a  man  of  about  27,  who 
had  come  West  for  his  health  and  had  no  settled 
charge  as  yet.  People  called  him  the  "Good  Sa- 
maritan" because  he  spent  so  much  of  his  time  with 
the  sick  and  poverty-stricken.  He  often  held  meet- 
ings for  religious  counsel  in  out  of  the  way  places, 
schoolhouses  on  by-roads,  and  even  in  open  fields. 
He  had  paid  a  number  of  visits  to  Mrs.  Gardner  dur- 
ing her  illness.  Though  Mr.  Hall  had  heard  of  the 
clergyman  they  had  never  met  till  now. 

"  Mrs.  Gardner  spoke  much  to  me  about  you,"  said 
the  minister,  in  a  low  tone.  "  It  was  a  great  com- 


IO4  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION, 

fort  to  her,  in  her  last  moments,  to  feel  that  you  would 
undertake  in  some  measure  to  fill  her  place.  I  should 
like  to  talk  with  you  further  about  this  before  you 
return  to  Olluma." 

The  services  were  brief.  Besides  reading  the  for- 
mal text,  Mr.  Sewall  made  a  few  remarks  in  excellent 
taste  and  prayed  fervently  for  those  bereft.  The  pro- 
cession to  the  ce-netery  was  made  in  ordinary  car- 
riages, the  coffin  r:.-ried  in  a  carefully  draped  box 
wagon.  Nothing  FO  ambitious  as  a  hearse  was  yet 
known  in  the  neighborhood.  When  it  was  all  over 
Mr.  Sewall  returned  and  partook  of  a  sad  supper  in 
the  farmhouse.  Afterwards  he  motioned  to  Victor 
that  he  wished  he  would  follow  him  and  they  took  a 
little  walk  together. 

"  Have  you  decided  to  accept  the  trust  imposed  oit 
you?"  asked  the  minister.  "Before  you  answer,  let 
me  say  I  sincerely  trust  you  have.  The  little  estate 
left  to  these  helpless  people  needs  the  management  of 
a  business  head,  and  as  far  as  I  can  learn  no  one  else 
has  equally  their  confidence." 

"  What  would  you  advise  me  to  do,  in  case  I  accept 
it?"  said  Victor.  "Let  matters  go  on  as  they  are 
as  long  as  possible,  I  suppose.  There  is  some  kind 
of  a  living  to  be  made  out  of  the  ranch  and  it  would 
bring  very  little  if  put  on  the  market." 

"  Yes,  that  is  the  condition  that  stares  them  in  the 
face.  And  yet  neither  of  the  young  women  will  want 
to  stay  here  if  they  can  help  it.  The  elder,  as  per- 
haps you  know,  was  gone  long  enough  to  feel  the 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  105 

loneliness  of  this  life  and  Miss  Elsie  chafes  under 
it,  too." 

"  How  lor-'  have  yon  kncwn  the  family?"  inquired 
Mr.  Hall. 

"  Merely  during  the  past  year." 

"  Then  you  have  only  been  acquainted  with  Ma- 
rian since  her  return?" 

"  That  is  all." 

"Are  you  sure  she  will  consent  to  remain?" 

No,  the  minister  was  not  as  sure  as  he  would  like 
to  be.  The  others  needed  her  quite  as  much  as  the 
mother  did.  She  was  now  the  natural  head  of  the 
house. 

"There  was  another,  I  think?"  said  Mr.  Hall.  "A 
—son?" 

The  clergyman  was  disturbed  by  the  question.  He 
said,  "  I  believe  so,"  in  a  tone  that  convinced  the  list- 
ener that  he  knew  all  about  the  matter.  There  are 
times  when  even  a  man  of  his  calling  thinks  it  best  to 
equivocate.  Victor  wanted  to  ask  whether  this  son 
was  still  living,  but  the  words  would  not  form  them- 
selves. He  did  not  like  to  worm  a  secret  from  un- 
willing lips. 

"  There  is  another  matter  mentioned  in  the  will,"  he 
said,  to  bridge  over  the  dilemma,  "  about  which  I  am 
much  more  disturbed  than  the  trusteeship  of  the  little 
property.  Mrs.  Gardner  wanted  me  to  act  as  guard- 
ian for  her  younger  children.  If  you  had  any  con- 
versation with  her  about  that  matter  I  would  like 
you  to  say,  if  you  can,  why  she  selected  so  young  a 
man  for  such  an  important  post." 


106  STRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 

Mr.  Sewall  responded  that  the  reason  was  the  same 
as  in  the  other  case,  that  of  availability  and  supreme 
confidence. 

"  I  don't  believe  I  can  accept  that,  at  any  rate," 
said  the  other,  in  a  worried  tone.  "  If  the  father  con- 
sents to  allow  any  one  to  usurp  that  duty,  why  should 
it  not  be  taken  by  Marian?  She  is  almost  as  old  as 
I,  bright,  intelligent,  sufficient  in  every  way.  The 
wards  are  her  own  brother  and  sister.  I  shall  do 
my  best  to  persuade  her  to  accept  the  appointment, 
and  in  any  case,  unless  I  change  my  mind  entirely,  I 
must  decline  it." 

Then  something  came  out  that  did  not  clear  up  the 
situation  at  all.  Airs.  Gardner  had  had  that  idea  pre- 
sented to  her  by  Air.  Sewall,  and  had  replied  with 
great  positiveness  that  she  would  not  think  of  Ma- 
rian in  that  connection. 

"  Well,  there  is  yourself,  then,"  said  Air.  Hall,  with 
a  sudden  thought.  "  You  are  just  the  man.  If  you 
will  take  the  place  of  guardian  I  will  accept  that  of 
trustee.  When  the  matter  comes  before  the  judge 
I  will  suggest  you  to  fill  the  position." 

The  idea  was  not  welcome  to  Air.  Sewall,  that  was 
entirely  evident,  but  he  was  a  conscientious  man  who 
desired  to  evade  no  duty.  After  a  little  further  de- 
bate he  said  he  would  talk  with  Alarian  about  it  and 
give  a  definite  reply  before  the  time  when  the  matter 
would  have  to  be  settled.  Perhaps  one  point  had 
best  be  investigated  at  once.  They  could  learn  Air. 
Gardner's  intentions. 

Returning  to  the  house  they  found  the  bereaved 


STRANGER  TITAN   FICTION.  IC>7 

husband  and  father  smoking  in  the  kitchen.  The 
Chinese  cook  had  gone  out  for  a  visit  and  Mr.  Gard- 
ner was  alone.  Carefully  they  revealed  to  him  the 
contents  of  his  wife's  will  and  asked  what  he  had  to 
say  on  the  matter. 

"  There's  no  use  in  my  sayin'  anything,"  he  replied, 
after  puffing  discontentedly  at  his  pipe  for  some  mo- 
ments. "  She  might  have  left  the  ranch  to  me, 
knowin'  I  would  do  the  right  thing  by  the  children, 
but  of  course  she  knew  my  state  of  health.  I  shall 
look  to  you,  then,  Mr.  Hall,  the  same  as  the  rest  of 
'em.  You'll  see  that  I  have  a  little  ready  money,  of 
course.  I  didn't  use  to  be  so  hard  up,  but  somehow 
the  world  has  gone  agin'  me." 

"  I  would  rather  Mr.  Sewall  would  take  the  guard- 
ianship of  Jacob  and  Elsie,"  said  Mr.  Hall,  "  leaving 
nothing  to  me  but  the  business  matters.  He  is  to 
live  near  by  and  can  attend  to  it  better  than  I.  Will 
that  be  satisfactory  to  you?  " 

Mr.  Gardner  nodded.  It  was  clear  that  the  only 
thing  that  interested  him  was  the  source  to  which  he 
must  look  for  his  own  income.  "  A  little  ready 
money"  that  he  could  invest  in  liquor  was  the  main 
point  at  issue. 

As  Mr.  Hall  was  obliged  to  return  to  Olluma  in 
the  morning  the  situation  was  laid  before  Marian, 
who  had  no  objections  to  offer  to  the  arrangement. 
Indeed,  she  approved  it  highly. 

"You  didn't  want  to  take  charge  of  Elsie,  then?" 
she  said  to  Hall,  with  something  like  surprise  in  the 
tone  in  which  she  said  it. 


108  STRANGER  THAN   FICTION* 

"  No,  not  in  that  way,"  he  answered,  musingly,  and 
the  minister  and  the  elder  sister  exchanged  glances. 
"  Of  course  I  will  do  anything  I  can  to  help  her,  and 
— and  all  of  you — but  I  would  rather  not  have  the 
responsibility." 

Learning  on  further  inquiry  that  there  was  little 
if  any  cash  on  hand  Victor  tendered  a  temporary  loan 
to  Marian,  which  she  reluctantly  accepted,  saying  she 
would  return  it  as  soon  as  possible.  In  the  morn- 
ing he  bade  them  all  good  by  for  the  present,  sooth- 
ing Elsie's  grief  with  tender  words  as  he  took  his  de- 
parture. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  109 


CHAPTER  XII. 

MR.  SEWALL  TALKS  TO  MARIAN. 

MR.  KEITH  wrote  occasionally  to  his  friend,  giving 
'the  latest  news  regarding  Mr.  Morse's  movements,  and 
referring  sometimes  to  Miss  Felton,  who  was,  it  ap- 
peared, still  unmarried  and  even  without  any  visible 
sweetheart.  These  allusions  gave  Mr.  Hall  a  fit  of  the 
dumps,  from  which  he  recovered  slowly  as  time  passed 
on.  He  was,  however,  much  interested  in  everything 
that  concerned  his  late  trustee,  and  read  'every  word 
over  and  over. 

"  Morse  has  been  in  again  with  your  dividends,"  said 
Mr.  Keith's  letter  that  came  in  January,  "  and  I  have 
placed  them  to  your  credit.  I  can't  make  the  fellow  out 
at  all.  He  was  reserved  enough  before,  but  now  he 
hardly  speaks  to  any  one  except  on  necessary  business 
and  he  has  quit  attending  anything  in  the  nature  of  a 
public  function.  Probably  the  fear  that  he  will,  after 
all,  be  discovered  hangs  like  a  millstone  around  his 
neck.  I  should  not  be  in  the  least  surprised  if  he  came 
in  some  day  with  a  cock-and-bull  story  about  having 
found  the  lost  property,  for  I  never  really  believed  the 
other  yarn." 

"The  other  yarn?"  Victor  wondered  what  "the 
other  yarn  "  was.  It  must  have  been  detailed  in  that 


IIO  STRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 

newspaper  account  of  which  Keith  had  spoken  before, 
that  newspaper  which  never  reached  its  destination.  He 
thought  he  would  write  to  ask  for  further  details,  but 
something  drove  the  matter  from  his  mind  when  he  was 
inditing  his  answer;  and,  much  to  the  advantage  of  this 
history,  he  never  learned  what  the  "  other  yarn  "  was 
for  a  long  time  afterward. 

In  the  meantime  a  partnership  was  formed,  under 
the  title  of  Whiteley  &  Hall,  with  his  associate.  Busi- 
ness came  to  the  new  firm  enough  to  keep  them  pretty 
busy,  and  besides  this  the  mine,  under  the  personal 
charge  of  Mr.  Whiteley,  was  already  paying  expenses. 
The  future  had  begun  to  look  bright  for  Victor,  from 
a  financial  point  of  view.  He  went  occasionally  for  a 
day  to  the  home  of  the  Gardners,  having  been  given  his 
papers  as  executor  of  the  estate,  and  finding  his  pres- 
ence sometimes  necessary.  A  timely  succession  of 
showers  had  brought  the  orange  crop  to  bearing  and 
for  the  present  the  wolf  was  kept  at  a  reasonable  dis- 
tance from  the  lowly  door.  The  family  remained  on  the 
ranch,  as  formerly,  that  seeming  the  wisest  disposition 
of  them  at  present,  though  the  girls  chafed  at  the  lone- 
liness of  their  position.  Mr.  Sewall  had  little  to  do  as 
guardian  of  the  younger  children,  but  he  called  often 
and  gave  them  the  benefit  of  his  presence  and  counsel. 
It  soon  became  apparent,  however,  that  it  was  the  elder 
sister  who  acted  as  the  principal  lodestone  in  his  case. 

Under  a  thinly  veiled  pretence  of  consulting  with  her 
about  the  studies  which  Elsie  or  Jakey  were  pursuing, 
Mr.  Sewall  had  long  talks  with  Marian,  which  he 
seemed  to  find  very  agreeable.  For  a  time  she  accepted 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION.  II  f 

his  attitude  without  suspicion,  but  at  last  it  dawned  on 
her  mind  that  he  was  becoming  more  attentive  than  she 
thought  it  the  point  of  wisdom  to  permit.  She  began 
to  excuse  herself  on  the  plea  of  various  duties  from 
staying  with  him  alone,  and  when  he  came  to  tea  or 
lunch  she  managed  to  keep  Elsie  in  the  room  as  much 
as  possible. 

"  I  don't  know  how  I  ever  got  along  without  this 
family,"  remarked  Mr.  Sewall,  one  evening,  when  the 
younger  sister  had  gone  to  some  affair  at  Brayton.  "  It 
was  a  real  blessing  to  me  to  form  your  acquaintance." 

"  You  have  been  very  kind  to  us  all,"  Marian  an- 
swered. "  I'm  sure  we're  grateful." 

"  I  wish  I  could  do  more,"  he  said,  with  straightfor- 
ward honesty.  "  I  wish,  Marian,  you  would  put  it  in 
my  power — make  it  my  right — to  take  all  your  burdens 
on  myself.  You  know,"  he  went  on,  seeing  that  she 
was  trying  to  interrupt  him,  "  that  I  have  more  than 
sufficient  means  to  assume  the  expense  of  the  education 
of  your  sister  and  brother,  besides  providing  for  your 
father  to  the  end  of  his  days.  Marian,  if  you  would 
only  let  me " 

Was  it  a  proposal  of  marriage  ?  It  certainly  had  that 
sound,  and  for  an  instant  the  heart  of  the  young  woman 
almost  stood  still  in  her  breast.  She  had  known  that  the 
young  minister  was  growing  fond  of  her — too  fond — 
but  she  had  not  looked  for  this.  Clasping  her  hands 
together  she  turned  her  face  to  him  appealingly. 

"  Mr.  Sewall,"  she  said,  in  a  voice  that  trembled,  "  I 
don't  know  how  to  thank  you  for  all  the  kind  things  you 
have  done  for  us,  but  I  ought  to  sav  now — I  must  say — 


112  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

that  to  accept  anything  further  is  impossible.  Unless 
you  wish  to  inflict  pain  you  will  not  allude  to  the  matter 
hereafter." 

He  listened  breatnlw-ssly.  ant'  w-^ced  as  he  saw  her 
wipe  away  a  tear  that  v.as  about  to  roll  down  her 
cheek. 

"  Do  you  understand  me  perfectly?  "  he  said.  "  I 
love  you,  Marian.  I  want  you  to  be  my " 

"  Don't  !  Forget  that  you  ever  thought  of  such  a 
thing.  I  have  no  right  to  listen  to  such  a  statement, 
much  less  to  consider  it  seriously.  I  hope  I  am  not  to 
blame.  If  I  am,  I  am  truly  sorry." 

It  was  plain  that  he  was  stunned  by  her  reply,  and 
could  not  rally  immediately  from  the  blow  she  had  dealt 
him. 

"  If  my  presence  disturbs  or  annoys  you,  Miss  Gard- 
ner  "  he  began,  rising  from  his  chair. 

"  Oh,  please  !  "  she  cried.  u  Don't  act  any  differently 
toward  me  than  if  this  had  never  happened.  We  can 
still  be  good  friends,  can't  we?  And  don't  call  me 
'  Miss  Gardner.'  Just  forget  that  you  ever  thought  of 
anything  except  that  you  are  one  of  the  truest  and  best 
friends  I  have." 

Women  often  say  these  things  and  act  as  if  they 
thought  it  easy  to  follow  their  injunction.  It  seemed 
to  Mr.  Scwall  a  very  hard  thing,  just  then.  He  would 
rather  have  taken  himself  back  to  his  study  in  Brayton 
and  let  his  wound  heal  as  best  it  might  in  the  solitude  of 
his  lonely  home.  He  was  a  brave  man,  though,  and  he 
liked  this  little  woman  too  well  to  cause  her  pain. 

"  I  want  to  ask  you  one  or  two  questions,"  he  said, 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  1IJ 

after  a  long  pause.  "  Yet*  can  do  as  you  think  wise 
about  answering.  In  ".he  fir;;-,,  place,  is  there  another  ? 
If  there  is,  he  has  my  tiuest  hopes  for  his  happiness." 

;'  There  is — another,"  she  replied,  huskily.  "  Now, 
ask  no  more." 

"  Dear  Alarian,  tell  me  only  one  thing  further.  If  it 
is  Air  Hall—" 

She  shook  her  head  decidedly. 

"  It  is  not  Mr.  Hall  ?  " 

"  No,  no,  no  !  " 

"  Is  it  any  one  whom  I  know  ?  "  he  persisted. 

"  I — I  think  not.  Now,  please  ask  nothing  else.  I 
have  told  you  this  because  I  esteem  you  highly.  Let 
us  close  the  matter.  Dear,  kind  friend,  you  can  do  that 
for  me  ?  " 

And  thus  it  was  that  Mr.  Sewall's  dream  vanished 
and  that  he  became  the  fast  and  true  friend  of  Marian 
instead  of  her  husband.  He  crushed  down  the  hope 
that  had  found  lodgment  in  his  heart  rmd  devoted  him- 
self to  proving  that  even  a  rejected  suitor  may  be 
worth  retaining  as  a  firm  advocate.  Instead  of  ending 
their  pleasant  relations  the  incident  seemed  to  bind  them 
closer.  Now  that  they  understood  each  other  she  need 
not  avoid  him,  and  there  was  no  reason  why  he  might 
not  extend  to  the  younger  members  of  the  family  any 
kindness  they  required. 

Another  year  passed  after  this  event  occurred,  with 
little  change  in  the  condition  of  things  at  the  ranch. 
The  income  still  sufficed,  with  great  economy,  to  sup- 
port the  little  household.  Elsie,  with  Mr.  Sewall  to  help 
Marian  and  her  own  earnest  desire  to  learn,  was  ac- 


114  STRANGER  THAN   FICTION.. 

quiring  such  knowledge  as  is  found  in  books  at  a  rapid 
rate.  Jacob,  though  a  harder  subject  to  deal  with,  had 
been  cajoled  by  means  of  story  papers  into  reading 
more  valuable  works,  and  through  small  presents  of 
things  he  coveted  into  learning  the  lessons  in  arithmetic 
and  geography  th^t  were  set  him.  Grammar  was  his 
main  aversion.  He  ^.jclared  that  he  "didn't  care 
nothin'  about  it,"  an ,.  '.iis  lapses  in  conversation  proved 
his  assertion.  Indec  .,  his  speech  grew  steadily  worse, 
owing  to  the  juvenile  company  he  elected  to  keep. 

A  shotgun  that  Mr.  Sewall  had  bought  him  as  a 
Christmas  present  was  his  main  delight,  except  when 
he  was  permitted  to  take  Air.  Hall's  rifle,  that  Elsie  still 
retained  on  the  premises.  He  grew  quite  skilful  with 
both  weapons,  and  occasionally  added  something  to  the 
scanty  fare  at  the  family  board  from  his  trophies  of  bird 
and  beast. 

The  life  of  Air.  Gardner  underwent  the  least  change 
of  any  of  them.  He  still  smoked  his  pipe  and  drank 
what  whiskey  he  could  get  hold  of,  grumbling  when 
spoken  to  and  complaining  of  the  hard  lot  a  poor  man 
had  to  endure.  The  first  thing  that  awoke  any  special 
interest  in  his  sluggish  brain  was  the  visit  of  a  stranger 
who  wanted  to  see  the  proprietor  of  the  ranch  and  to 
learn  what  price  would  be  considered  a  fair  exchange 
for  a  deed  of  it. 

He  had  long  hoped  that  such  a  proposal  would  come 
from  somewhere,  but  when  it  was  actually  brought  to 
his  attention  it  almost  took  his  breath  away. 

"  I'm  owner  of  this  ycr  place,  about  as  much  as  any- 
body, I  reckon,"  he  managed  to  articulate  at  last,  look- 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION.  115 

ing  carefully  around  to  see  if  they  were  likely  to  be 
overheard.  "  How  much  do  yer  calkerlate  it's  wuth  to 
yer  ?  " 

"  A  better  way  to  begin  would  be  to  tell  what  you  ask 
for  it,"  smiled  the  stranger.  "  How  many  acres  have 
you  ?  " 

"  Oh,  thar's  about  two  hundred,  of  one  kind  an'  an- 
other. We — that  is,  my  wife — give  $3,000  for  it  eight 
year  ago.  Of  course,"  he  added,  cunningly,  "  it's  ben 
improved  a  good  deal  sence  then — new  trees  sot  out  and 
money  spent  on  the  barn." 

A  long  conversation  ensued,  the  would-be  purchaser 
making  notes  in  a  little  book  he  carried. 

"  If  the  property  is  willed  to  you  and  your  three 
children,"  he  said,  finally,  "  I  suppose  there's  an  exec- 
utor or  trustee  or  something." 

The  connection  of  Mr.  Hall,  of  Olluma,  with  the 
estate  was  explained  and  the  man  departed,  saying  that 
he  would  call  on  that  gentleman  without  delay. 

"  You  can  tell  him  we're  willin'  to  sell,  if  he  can  git 
the  right  price,"  were  Gardner's  parting  words. 

With  great  diplomacy  the  father  worked  for  the  next 
few  days  preparing  the  minds  of  the  others  for  the 
change  that  might  be  coming.  He  pictured  the  pleasure 
of  living  in  a  town  and  of  being  where  something  in 
the  way  of  "  work"  could  be  obtained  to  help  out  the 
fast  failing  funds  on  which  they  had  to  rely.  The 
crowds  of  people  to  be  met  there  were  contrasted  with 
the  semi-occasional  traveller  who  passed  by  their  pres- 
ent abode.  And  as  Olluma  would  undoubtedly  be  the 
town  selected,  he  even  practiced  with  Elsie  on  the  fond- 


116  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION1.; 

ness  he  knew  she  fdt  for  Mr.  Hall's  society,  until  the 
girl  could  hardly  contain  herself  at  the  prospect. 

In  a  short  time  Mr.  Hall  came  down,  with  the 
stranger,  in  a  buggy,  and  there  was  a  family  council. 
The  buyer  had  offered  $6,000  in  cash  for  the  place,  and 
to  take  possission  as  soon  as  was  convenient  to  the 
others. 

"  If  you  ever  intend  to  sell,"  Victor  told  them,  when 
Marian  asked  for  his  own  opinion,  "  this  seems  a  par- 
ticularly eligible  opportunity." 

There  was  no  dissenting  voice  when  it  came  to  a  vote, 
and  the  papers  were  given  that  bound  the  executor.  A 
fortnight  later  the  deed  was  signed,  and  the  Gardners 
prepared  to  move  to  a  cottage  at  Olluma  that  Hall  pur- 
chased for  them  with  part  of  the  funds  received. 

Mr.  Whiteley  came  into  his  office  the  next  day  and 
drew  up  a  chair  in  a  confidential  way  to  that  occupied 
by  his  partner. 

"  Mr.  Sherman,  who  bought  the  Gardner  ranch,' 
offers  to  sell  it  at  just  what  he  gave,"  said  he.  "  Now, 
if  you  and  Beal  want  to  have  it  hitched  on  to  our  prop-, 
erty,  I'll  take  it  for  the  company." 

"  Why  under  the  sun  should  we  want  it  ?  "  asked  the 
astonished  listener. 

"  There's  a  vein  that  leads  off  in  that  direction  from' 
where  we're  working  now,"  was  the  reply,  delivered 
with  much  meaning.  "  The  fact  is,  I  got  Sherman  to 
buy  it  for  me,  and  I'll  put  it  into  the  concern  or  not,  just 
as  you  say." 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

A  FACE  AT  THE  WINDOW. 

To  say  that  Mr.  Hall  was  astounded  by  the  con- 
fession of  his  friend  and  partner  but  feebly  expresses 
the  fact.  His  first  feeling  was  that  of  indignation; 
his  second  that  of  shame.  He  was  placed  in  a  po- 
sition of  having  disposed  of  property  which  he  held 
in  trust  in  a  way  that  might  bring  profit  to  himself 
and  render  the  original  owners  less  than  an  equiva- 
lent for  what  constituted  their  little  all. 

It  was  not  enough  to  reflect  that  he  was  guiltless 
of  wrong,  so  far  as  his  intention  went.  He  had  per- 
petrated an  act  that  he  would  have  been  the  last  per- 
son to  do  had  it  been  presented  to  him  in  its  bare 
enormity.  Now,  what  course  should  he  adopt  to 
lessen  the  injury?  Was  there  really  anything  that 
could  mitigate  the  effect  of  his  action? 

"  I  must  say,  Mr.  Whiteley,"  he  began,  as  soon  as 
he  could  find  words  to  express  his  feelings,  "  that  I 
do  not  approve  of  your  methods  in  this  affair." 

"  There  is  no  need  you  should,"  was  the  cold  re- 
ply. "  You  sold  the  ranch  for  at  least  double  what 
any  other  person  but  me  would  have  given  for  it.  The 
Gardners  were  barely  able  to  eke  out  an  existence 
from  the  small  crops  they  raised,  and  could  have  done 


Il8  STRANGER  THAN    FICTION. 

nothing  beneath  the  ground  even  if  they  had  suspect- 
ed there  was  paying  ore.  If  you  don't  want  to  have 
our  company  take  over  the  land,  you  need  only  say  so. 
In  that  case  I  shall  form  a  second  corporation  and  be- 
gin independent  digging.'1 

"  But  I  don't  understand  why  the  thing  should  have 
been  done  in  this  form.  If  the  owners  had  been  told 
there  was,  or  was  believed  to  be,  gold  there — 

"  They  would  probably  have  asked  you  not  to  sell 
it,"  was  the  grim  statement  of  the  lawyer.  "  They 
would  have  tried  to  hold  on  to  property  they  could 
not  develop,  and  eventually  have  lost  everything, 
whereas  now  they  receive  twice  what  the  ranch  cost 
them.  It  was  by  Beal's  discoveries  while  at  work 
on  our  side  of  the  line  that  I  came  to  the  conclusion 
it  would  be  wise  to  add  to  our  holdings.  I  can't  say 
positively  what  we  shall  find,  but  as  a  matter  of  judg- 
ment I  consider  the  place  worth  more  to  us  than  to 
any  one  else.  I  want  to  deal  square  with  you  and 
will  put  it  in  at  just  what  I  paid,  if  that  meets  your 
approval.  I  think  I  have  the  reputation  of  being  an. 
honest  man  in  business  transactions,  Mr.  Hall." 

Hall  reddened  at  the  concluding  words.  He  had 
not  meant  to  imply  anything  to  the  contrary  in  what 
he  said. 

"  I  have  a  fairly  good  reputation,  I  trust,  to  the 
same  effect,"  he  answered.  "  And,  let  me  add,  I  want 
to  keep  it,  too.  This  is  a  much  mixed  question,  Mr. 
Whiteley.  Give  me  a  little  time  to  think  it  over." 

Mr.  Whiteley  said  he  could  have  a  week  if  needed, 
but  added  that  he  could  not  see  how,  by  the  most  ex- 


STRANGER  THAN    FICTION. 

cessive  straining  of  the  point,  Hall  could  come  to 
the  conclusion  that  there  was  anything  improper  in 
allowing  the  mining  company  to  acquire  possession 
of  this  land.  It  was  not  yet  certain  that  the  purchase 
would  prove  a  paying  investment.  If  it  did  not,  the 
Gardners  would  simply  be  $3,000  richer  for  the  error 
of  Mr.  Beal.  If  there  turned  out  to  be  a  good  lead 
it  was  only  a  case  of  luck  for  the  miners  and  of  no  loss 
to  any  one. 

Mr.  Hall  took  a  part  of  the  week  which  he  was  al- 
lowed to  go  to  the  ranch  on  which  the  Gardner  family 
still  lived.  He  found  them  all  impatient  for  the  day 
when  they  would  bid  good-by  to  it  forever.  They 
listened  with  pleasure  to  his  description  of  the  little 
home  he  had  bought  at  Olluma,  and  one  and  all,  even 
including  the  junior  member,  thanked  him,  either  by 
words  or  looks,  for  the  interest  he  had  taken  in  them. 

Mr.  Sewall  called  while  he  was  there  and,  though 
he  did  not  seem  as  enthusiastic  as  the  others,  quietly 
approved  the  move.  He  said  the  fortunate  sale  of 
the  ranch  had  settled  a  good  many  problems  that  had 
troubled  him  in  his  capacity  as  guardian. 

"  Our  young  folks  need  good  schools  and  will  get 
them,"  said  he.  ''  They  need  society,  contact  with 
people  of  culture  and  refinement,  and  they  will  get 
that.  They  need  things  that  money  alone  can  buy, 
and  with  the  balance  now  on  hand  much  can  be  done 
in  that  direction.  It  seems  a  providential  change  that 
will  undoubtedly  inure  to  the  benefit  of  all  con- 
cerned." 

At  the  mention  of  "Providence"  Victor  winced. 


I2O  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

"  I  have  recently  learned  what  induced  Mr.  Sher- 
man to  pay  so  high  a  price  for  the  place,"  he  remarked. 
"  You  know  I  got  more  than  twice  what  any  of  us 
thought  it  worth.  I  considered  it  my  duty  as  trustee 
to  secure  all  I  could,  but  if  I  had  heard  what  I  know 
now  I  should  have  tried  to  make  the  price  even 
larger,  or  perhaps  refused  to  sell  at  all." 

The  listeners  stared  at  him  with  open  mouths,  even 
Mr.  Gardner  forgetting  to  puff  at  his  pipe  till  the  ex- 
planation came. 

"  It  is  believed  that  gold  will  be  found  here." 

"  Stuff!  "  exclaimed  the  father,  with  contempt. 

"I  don't  believe  they'll  get  much,  do  you?"  said 
Marian. 

"  Why,  your  mine  just  beyond  here  hasn't  more 
than  paid  expenses,  has  it?"  asked  the  minister. 

"  No,"  responded  Victor,  answering  the  last  query 
first.  "  But  of  course  we  have  hopes  to  do  better — 
as  all  miners  have,"  he  added.  "  Mr.  Whiteley  wants 
to  buy  up  this  place  and  add  it  to  our  holdings.  He 
thinks  there  is  a  vein  here  that  it  will  pay  to  work." 

Elsie  turned  her  bright  eyes  upon  the  young  man. 

"  If  there's  anything  to  it,  I  hope  you  will,"  she 
said.  "  There's  no  person  we  would  all  like  as  well 
to  find  gold  here  as  you.  Still,  I  should  be  careful. 
I'd  have  people  who  know  about  such  things  make 
thorough  tests  before  putting  good  money  in." 

The  sweet  voice  and  the  comfort  of  the  words  came 
as  a  balm  to  her  friend's  perturbed  feelings.  lie 
turned  on  the  girl  a  look  of  gratitude. 

"What  do  you  say,  Mr.  Sewall?"  he  asked  next. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  12  f 

"  Why,  I  don't  see  as  it  makes  any  difference  to  this 
family  now  who  buys  it,  if  it's  for  sale.  No  matter 
how  great  a  fortune  there  is  here,  it's  out  of  their 
hands.  Mr.  Sherman  wants  a  big  bonus,  I  suppose?" 

With  a  reddening  cheek  Mr.  Hall  said  that  Mr. 
Whiteley  could  get  it  for  the  company  at  the  same 
price  the  man  had  paid. 

"  Then  Sherman  must  have  lost  faith  in  it." 

Silence  greeted  this  suggestion,  broken  by  Mr. 
Gardner. 

"  All  the  gold  they'll  git  out  o'  this  ranch  you  can 
put  in  your  eye,  mark  what  I  tell  you!  Half  a  dozen 
times  folks  have  been  here  and  I've  let  'em  dig  holes  in 
different  places  and  it  never  amounted  to  nothin'.  I 
don't  s'pose  my  'pinion's  much  'count,  but  I  tell  you, 
Mr.  Hall,  to  let  the  blamed  thing  alone." 

After  a  slight  pause  Victor  remarked  to  Marian  that 
she  was  the  only  one  who  had  expressed  no  opinion 
on  the  main  question,  at  which  Master  Jacob  sniffed 
and  turned  his  face  away  disgruntled. 

"  I  was  only  thinking,"  replied  the  elder  sister, 
"  that  if  it  could  have  been  our  fortune  to  have 
found  a  paying  mine  and  kept  the  place — if  we  could 
have  become  rich  out  of  it — what  glorious  things  we 
could  have  done  with  the  money.  It.  would  then  have 
been  no  little  cottage  at  Olluma — and  I'm  not  un- 
grateful, either,  for  what  we've  got — but  a  fine  home 
like  those  some  others  have,  with  horses  and  ser- 
vants, and  the  best  education  and  clothing  for  Elsie, 
and — oh,  dear!  1  mustn't  let  such  thoughts  run  away 
with  me;  but  I  couldn't  help  thinking!" 


122  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

A  depression  fell  on  the  group  at  these  words — at 
least  on  all  but  Elsie.  It  seemed  to  her  that  they 
were  trying  to  rob  their  best  friend,  the  man  but  for 
whom  they  might  have  had  far  less  to  live  on,  might 
in  fact  have  been  compelled  to  stay  indefinitely  on  the 
mean  old  ranch  which  she  hated  with  no  less  fervor 
than  ever,  whether  there  wras  a  gold  mine  under  it  or 
not. 

"  I  think  you're  treating  Mr.  Hall  shabbily,"  she 
said,  with  eyes  that  flashed.  "  He  comes  to  ask  our 
opinion  about  what  is  no  business  of  ours  whatever, 
and  you  hesitate  and  hem  and  haw — yes,  you,  Marian 
Gardner,  and  you,  Mr.  Sewall — instead  of  telling  him 
that  he  has  nothing  to  do  as  far  as  we're  concerned 
but  act  for  his  own  interests!  Would  it  please  you 
better,"  she  continued,  refusing  to  take  hints  that  were 
cast  at  her  from  the  faces  of  those  she  criticised,  "  if 
some  stranger  dug  up  this  ground  and  made  himself 
rich?  I  want  you  to  know,"  she  said,  turning  to  the 
young  man,  and  walking  straight  to  his  side,  "  that 
there's  one  who  can  give  an  answer  that  isn't 
mixed  with  selfishness.  If  there's  anything  in  the 
place,  7  want  ycni  to  have  it.  You've  been  the  dear- 
est friend  to  all  of  us,  ever  since  that  day  I  took  you 
for  a  tramp  and  had  you  fed  in  the  kitchen!  " 

Then,  to  the  consternation  of  everybody  present, 
and  to  that  of  Mr.  Hall  above  the  rest,  the  girl  threw 
her  arms  around  his  neck. 

"Elsie!"  cried  Marian,  reprovingly. 

She  was  overcome  with  shame  and  confusion,  in  the 
presence  of  the  minister,  too.  But  the  younger  sis- 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  123 

ter,  as  soon  as  she  realized  what  she  had  clone,  bolted 
for  the  door  that  led  upstairs,  and  fled  from  the  con- 
sequences of  her  overwrought  impetuosity. 

Jacob  had  risen  from  the  floor  and  taken  a  pair  of 
tongs  threateningly  in  his  hands.  Nobody  looked 
at  him  except  Mr.  Gardner,  who  did  not  comprehend 
!n  the  least  that  a  tempest  was  ready  to  burst  in  the 
little  head.  The  father  took  the  tongs  from  his  son, 
with  a  whispered  injunction  to  behave  himself,  at  which 
Jakey  went  in  one  direction  as  fast  as  Elsie  had  gone 
in  the  other,  and  slamming  the  outer  door  behind 
him,  escaped  into  the  yard. 

"  It  was  very  kind  and  honorable  of  you,  Mr.  Hall, 
to  ask  our  opinion  on  this  subject."  So  said  the  cler- 
gyman, and  he  did  it  in  a  way  to  quietly  take  atten- 
tion from  the  startling  events  that  had  just  transpired. 
"  If  a  trustee  sells  a  piece  of  property  with  no  thought 
of  benefiting  himself  personally  thereby,  and  the  prop- 
erty is  afterwards  believed  by  him  to  be  worth  pur- 
chasing from  the  new  owner,  there  is  no  moral  objec- 
tion to  his  doing  it,  that  I  can  see.  It  is  only  where 
the  holder  of  a  trust  knows  or  believes  that  a  greater 
value  than  appears  to  exist  does  exist,  and  manages 
by  surreptitious  means  to  get  the  property  into  his 
hands  for  less  than  it  is  really  worth,  that  moral  wrong 
is  done.  This,  on  your  statement,  does  not  appear 
to  be  that  kind  of  case ;  and  indeed  we  know  you  bet- 
ter than  to  think  for  an  instant  you  could  be  party  to 
any  fraud." 

Although  fhe  declaration  of  Mr.  Sewall  could  not 
be  denied,  as  a  fair  proposition,  and  he  assented  to  it 


_j?4  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION, 

with  a  pretence  of  relief,  Mr.  Hall  was  worried  over 
the  manner  of  its  construction.  There  was  still  a 
sincere  wish  in  his  heart  that  possession  of  the  Gard- 
ner ranch,  if  it  was  to  be  had  by  his  company,  could 
have  been  obtained  in  a  way  that  looked  less  like  un 
derhanded.  He  felt,  after  thinking  the  matter  over 
for  some  days,  in  all  its  bearings,  however,  that  he 
had  best  accept  the  proposition  of  Mr.  Whiteley  to 
add  the  estate  to  the  ownings  he  and  Beal  had  in  con- 
nection with  him.  If  events  proved  that  the  product 
was  less  than  anticipated  no  great  harm  would  be 
done.  If  it  proved  very  valuable  some  way  might  be 
found  to  make  the  Gardners  a  sharer  in  at  least  the 
third  he  would  control,  perhaps  without  letting  them 
know  the  source  of  their  increased  income. 

When  but  a  few  days  remained  before  the  family 
was  to  bid  farewell  to  their  long-time  home,  Marian, 
who  was  the  last  one  of  them  up,  heard  a  tap  on  the 
parlor  window  at  ten  o'clock  at  night,  which  startled 
her.  She  thought  of  calling  one  of  the  others  to  as- 
sist in  investigating  the  sound,  which  was  evidently 
made  with  the  design  of  attracting  notice,  by  a  per- 
son standing  outside.  An  instant's  reflection  con- 
vinced her,  however,,  that  none  of  the  other  occu- 
pants of  the  house  would  be  of  much  service,  and  she 
pulled  aside  the  curtain. 

A  young  man,  exceedingly  pale,  looked  with  sunken 
eyes  at  her. 

"With  a  nastily  suppressed  cry  of  astonishment  and 
pain,  Marian  hastened  to  the  door  and  admitted  the 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  12$ 

new  comer.  Throwing  her  arms  about  him  she 
rained  trembling  kisses  on  his  lips,  at  the  same  time 
warning  him  that  any  conversation  must  be  carried 
on  in  the  lowest  whispers. 

"  Food! "   he    managed    to   articulate,  as  he   sank^ 
wholly  exhausted,  into  a  chair. 


126  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

"  HE  KILLED  THE  GUARDS !  " 

TIPTOEING  cautiously  to  the  pantry,  fearful  of  awak- 
ing any  of  the  others  in  the  house,  Marian  Gardner 
found  some  edibles  for  the  nearly  fainting  youth.  Ten- 
derly she  prepared  them  and  assisted  him  in  conveying 
the  first  mouthfuls  to  his  lips.  He  drank  eagerly  at 
the  milk  she  brought,  but  showed  his  weakened  state 
when  he  tried  to  use  a  spoon  or  a  fork.  Though  his 
clothing  was  dilapidated,  his  shoes  being  worn  through 
in  places  and  his  entire  appearance  unkempt  in  the 
extreme,  to  the  girl  he  was  no  object  of  aversion. 

"  What's  that?  "  he  asked,  starting  nervously  at  some 
slight  sound.  "  Hide  me,  Mannic;  don't  let  them  take 
me  back  again!"  And,  when  she  assured  him  in  a 
confident  whisper  that  he  need  not  fear,  he  nestled 
against  her  protecting  arm  like  a  weary  child. 

''  Tell  me  about  it,  dear,"  she  whispered,  when  he 
had  become  partly  rested  "  How  did  you  escape,  and 
how  did  you  manage  to  come  this  long  distance?  " 

"  I  can't  to-night,"  he  answered.  "  I  am  completely 
exhausted.  Where  can  you  put  me  till  I  am  able  to 
go  on  again?  The  barn — that  will  be  the  safest  place. 
I  will  stow  myself  away  there  till  morning,  when  you 
can  smuggle  me  out  a  breakfast.  Yes,  the  barn  will 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  12? 

be  all  right — it  is  better  shelter  than  I  have  had  gen- 
erally for  the  past  month.  There  is  no  moon,  no  one 
will  see  me  leave  the  house.  If  they  come  for  me  they 
won't  be  as  likely  to  search  there  as  they  would  here." 

"Are  they  hunting  you?"  she  asked,  tearfully. 
"Poor  boy!" 

"  I  don't  know.  I've  heard  nothing,  tout  I  suppose 
they're  doing  the  best  they  can.  No  one  has  been 
here  yet,  then?  Oh,  Mannie,  I  can't  go  back!  I'd 
rather  die  than  have  them  take  me  to  that  place 
again!  " 

She  comforted  him  with  expressions  of  love  and 
hope,  though  her  heart  was  ready  to  sink,  and  after  a 
little  further  talk  agreed  to  his  plan,  unpleasant  as  it 
was  to  turn  him  out  of  the  house  in  his  weak  condi- 
tion. She  said  she  would  manage  to  see  him  in  the 
morning  and  bring  him  enough  to  eat,  and  then  they 
would  decide  what  it  was  best  to  do. 

"  Don't  let  father  know  I'm  here,"  he  said,  darkly. 
"  Poor  mother — she  was  my  true  friend — has  gone 
and  I  could  not  even  stand  by  her  coffin.  Dear  sister 
Elsie  might  help  if  she  was  old  enough,  but  it  isn't 
safe  to  let  her  into  the  secret.  There's  one  you  can 
tell  "  (and  he  brightened)  — "  he  would  protect  me 
to  the  end  of  his  little  strength — I  mean  Jakey.  If  you 
think  it's  not  wise  to  come  to  me  yourself,  send  him." 

Marian  promised  and  the..,  as  he  was  about  to  go 
out  of  the  back  door,  a  thought  entered  her  mind. 

''  There  is  another  friend  I  might  consult,"  she  said, 
eagerly,  "  Rev.  Mr.  Sewall,  who  has  been  here  a  great 


ttS  STRANGER  THAN 

deal  and  is  guardian  for  the  children.  He  would  do 
anything  I  asked  of  him." 

The  fugitive  expressed  instant  disapprobation. 

"A  minister!  He  would  be  the  most  dangerous 
person  you  could  choose.  If  the  police  came  and 
asked  him  outright  he  would  have  to  tell  the  truth, 
and  that  would  be  fatal.  Good  night,  dear.  Don't 
lie  awake  worrying  about  me.  I  shall  sleep  the  best 
I  have  for  weeks,  now  that  I  have  you  near." 

Marian  stood  in  the  doorway  and  watched  the  re- 
treating form  till  it  disappeared  through  an  opening 
in  the  stable  and  then,  wiping  her  tears  away,  sought 
her  chamber,  where  after  a  long  time  she  sobbed  her- 
self into  a  broken  slumber  that  lasted  till  daylight 
came. 

Rising,  she  came  down  and  appeared  to  busy  herself 
as  usual  about  the  duties  of  the  house.  She  anxiously 
watched  her  father  take  the  milkpails  and  go  toward 
the  barn — they  had  dispensed  with  the  services  of  their 
laborer  the  instant  the  place  was  sold — and  looked 
occasionally  from  the  window  till  she  saw  him  emerge 
with  the  product  of  the  two  cows.  As  it  was  clear  from 
his  manner  that  he  suspected  nothing,  she  breathed 
easier.  She  sat  down  to  breakfast  with  the  others,  try- 
ing to  attract  no  attention  by  her  distressed  face,  but 
Elsie  asked  her  if  she  was  ill,  declaring  that  she  looked 
as  if  she  had  not  slept  a  wink.  A  reply  that  she  had 
been  troubled  with  an  aching  tooth  explained  matters 
and  the  kind-hearted  little  sister  volunteered  to  at- 
tend to  her  duties,  advising  her  to  lie  down  and  try  to 
get  the  rest  she  needed. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  lag 

When  the  table  was  cleared  and  Mr.  Gardner  had 
started  on  a  walk  toward  Brayton — probably  with  the 
purpose  of  replenishing  a  certain  bottle  that  he  car- 
ried— Marian  whispered  to  Jakey. 

"  I  must  tell  you  a  secret,"  she  said,  "  and  if  you  let 
any  one  know,  it  will  bring  great  misery  upon  us  all. 
Can  I  trust  you,  little  brother? 

The  small  chap  looked  at  her  with  suddenly  aroused 
interest. 

"  Paul! "  he  exclaimed  beneath  his  breath,  and  his 
orbs  flashed. 

'"'  You  remember  him,"  she  answered,  astonished  at 
the  quickness  of  his  guess.  "  You  and  he  were  great 
friends.  Paul  loved  you  more  than  he  loved  any  of  us, 
I  think,  and  when  he  fell  into  trouble  you  grieved  as 
much  as  we  older  ones,  didn't  you?  " 

Jacob  listened  with  his  lips  setting  closer  together. 

"He's  dead?"  he  said,  interrogatively,  and  the 
moisture  gathered  in  his  eyes. 

"  Xo,  dear.  He  is  living — and — are  you  certain  I 
can  trust  you,  Jakey?  You'd  do  anything  in  the  world 
for  Paul,  I'm  sure," 

"  Come,  what's  happened?  They  put  him  in  jail, 
I  know  that,  and  I  don't  see  what  more  they  kin  do." 

She  sat  down  and  drew  the  little  fellow  to  her  side, 
with  an  arm  around  him.  He  had  never  taken  kindly 
to  petting,  and  the  fact  that  he  endured  it  now  proved 
how  anxious  he  was  to  hear  what  she  had  to  say. 

"  They  put  Paul  in  jail,  yes,  nearly  three  years  ago. 
The  judge  said  he  must  stay  there  five  years  and  never 
go  outside  the  walls.  They  put  men  all  around  him, 


I3O  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

with  guns  in  their  hands,  and  had  big  iron  doors  and 
great  locks  to  hold  him  in,  but — " 

"  He  killed  the  guards  and  got  out!  Ah!  That  was 
like  Paul!  "  The  boy  was  alive  with  enthusiasm. 

The  suggestion  of  the  young  brother  sent  a  chili 
down  Marian's  spine.  For  the  first  time  she  began  to 
think  that  something  of  this  sort  might  have  happened. 
Not  knowing  the  particulars  of  Paul's  escape  she  had 
not  connected  violence  with  it,  and  the  intimation 
frightened  her. 

"  I  can't  tell  you  how  he  got  out,"  she  answered,  with 
chattering  teeth,  "  but  he  escaped  in  some  way.  If 
they  catch  him  again  he  will  have  to  return  to  that 
dreadful  place  and  stay  even  longer  than  he  was  sen- 
tenced for  the  first  time.  I  want  you  to  help  me  pro- 
tect him." 

The  boy  looked  around  the  room,  as  if  he  half  ex- 
pected to  s-ee  the  familiar  face  in  some  corner.  His  ex- 
citement was  intense. 

"  Is  he  up  stairs?"  he  asked. 

"  No."  She  gazed  around  as  if  the  walls  might  have 
eyes  and  ears.  "  He's  in — the  stable." 

He  drew  a  long  breath  and  said  that  was  better. 
Then  Marian  told  him  s'he  had  a  package  of  things  to 
eat  and  drink  that  she  wanted  him  to  take  to  his 
brother.  She  impressed  upon  him  the  vital  importance 
of  his  errand.  In  the  first  place,  he  must  conceal  the 
articles  about  his  clothing  and  enter  the  stable  from 
the  rear  in  a  careless  way,  as  if  he  had  no  especial  mat- 
ter to  attend  to  there.  Once  inside  he  would  have  to 
use  great  judgment  in  making  his  presence  known  to 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  1$I 

Paul,  and  what  few  words  they  found  it  necessary  to 
exchange  must  be  in  the  lowest  possible  tones.  In- 
deed, no  matter  how  strong  the  temptation  to  talk,  he 
must  confine  his  visit  to  a  very  few  minutes,  and  find 
out  what  Paul  wanted  them  to  do  for  him  during  the 
next  twenty-four  hours.  His  return  must  also  be  in  a 
roundabout  way;  and  if  any  one  was  near  Marian  at 
the  time  he  must  wait  before  communicating  with  her 
till  she  was  entirely  alone. 

The  lad  was  restive  under  the  careful  instructions 
and,  muttering  that  he  guessed  he  knew  something 
himself,  proceeded  to  hide  the  food  and  a  bottle  con- 
taining coffee  and  milk  among  his  clothing.  Then, 
with  another  word  of  warning  from  .the  sister,  he  pro- 
ceeded on  an  errand  that  filled  him  with  great  satis- 
faction. Not  only  was  he  delighted  at  the  pr  aspect 
of  seeing  Paul,  but  there  was  something  piquant  in  the 
adventure.  It  reminded  him  of  those  detailed  in  cer- 
tain dime  novels  he  had  managed  to  borrow  from  the 
boys  in  the  neighborhood,  whose  heroes  had  long  since 
decided  him  to  adopt  outlawry  as  a  permanent  profes- 
sion when  he  was  a  little  older. 

He  made  his  way  as  directed  to  the  rear  of  the  sta- 
ble and  entered.  Whistling  softlv,  he  ascended  a  lad- 
der to  the  loft,  where  he  proceeded  to  take  the  articles 
he  had  brought  and  put  them  behind  some  convenient 
barrels.  He  stood  up  and  sang  in  a  low  tone  a  few 
lines  of  a  popular  song,  so  that  Paul  might  have  a 
chance  to  see  and  recognize  him  in  case  he  doubted 
whose  voice  he  heard: 


132  STRAKGER  THAN  FICTION!, 

There's  an  orgin  in  the  parlor. 

To  give  the  house  a  tone, 
An'  yer  welcome  ev'ry  ev'nin'— 

"Jakey!"  was  heard  in  a  faint  whisper,  and  a  thin 
form  emerged  from  its  place  of  concealment. 

"  Stay  where  yer  are,  an'  I'll  bring  the  stuff  to  yer," 
was  whispered  back;  and  a  moment  later  the  long  sep- 
arated brothers  were  locked  in  a  warm  embrace, 

"  Any  stranger  been  around  the  house?  " 

"  No." 

"  What's  father  doing?  " 

"  Went  off  to  town  an  hour  ago." 

Paul  bit  his  lip. 

"  For  whiskey,  eh?  Where  does  he  get  the  money?  w 

He  drank  heavily  of  the  mixed  coffee  and  milk,  and 
bit  hungrily  at  the  viands. 

"  Oh,  there's  plenty  of  money  sence  we  sold  the 
ranch,"  said  J  '.ey.  "  Didn't  yer  know?  "  he  added,  as 
he  saw  the  sr  -prise  in  his  brother's  face.  "  Sold  the 
hull  t'v  g  for  six  thousan',  an'  we're  goin'  to  live  at 
Olluma." 

Paul  wanted  to  know  more  about  the  transaction 
and  was  given  all  the  information  the  little  fellow  pos- 
sessed, including  the  probability  that  the  place  would 
be  absorbed  by  a  mining  company  that  had  been  ope- 
rating on  the  ranch  next  to  them.  Paul  heard  with 
darkened  face  the  rumors  about  gold  being  found  be- 
neath the  soil. 

"  How's  Mannie  this  morning?  "  he  asked,  changing 
the  subject. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  13$ 

"  Looks  as  if  she  hadn't  slept  none.    Yer  come  last 

night,  I  s'pose?  " 

"Yes;  I  waited  till  I  thought  father  was  asleep. 
Doeo  he  ever  say  anything  about  me?" 

"  Never  a  word.  He's  pretty  sour  most  o*  the  time. 
I'm  the  only  friend  he's  got  in  the  fam'ly,  an'  I  stick 
to  him  jest  'cause  there  ain't  nobody  else.  Say,  Paul, 
tell  me  how  this  t'ing  happened.  I  never  understood 
much  after  yer  an'  Mannie  left  here." 

Paul  listened  intently,  and  then  said: 

"  You're  sure  no  one  can  spot  us?  " 

"  Sure.    They'll  think  I'm  off  in  the  woods  huntinV 

"  Have  you  got  a  gun,  then?  "  asked  Paul,  with  sud- 
den interest. 

"  Yes,  two,  a  shotgun  an'  a  rifle.  An'  I  kin  hit  a 
cottontail  at  a  hundred  yards." 

"Where  are  the  guns?" 

"  In  the  house.  I'll  bring  'em  out  here  if  yer  say 
so." 

"  Bring  'em  to-night  after  dark,  and  plenty  of  am- 
munition. They're  not  going  to  take  me  alive,  if  I 
can  help  it." 

"  Bully  for  you!  "  was  the  delighted  reply.  "  P'raps 
I'd  better  go  now.  When  I  come  out  with  the  guns, 
an'  it's  all  still  an'  dark,  will  yer  tell  me  th'  hull  story?  " 

Paul  promised  and,  with  a  parting  word  of  caution, 
retired  to  his  concealment,  while  Jacob  made  his  way 
back  to  the  house  without  observation. 


134  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION, 


CHAPTER  XV. 

BROTHER  AND  SISTER. 

THERE  are  few  compensations  worth  mentioning  to 
the  child  whose  father  has  acquired  an  inordinate  taste 
for  ardent  spirits,  but  the  next  evening,  when  Marian 
saw  her  remaining  parent  stagger  with  difficulty  up- 
stairs to  his  bed  she  breathed  a  sigh  of  relief.  She 
wanted  to  have  Paul  where  interference  from  this 
source  was  not  one  of  the  dangers  to  be  feared,  and  the 
opportunity  was  gratefully  accepted.  Elsie  was  the 
soundest  of  sound  sleepers.  Ah  Wing  had  never  been 
known  to  stir  after  his  slumbers  began,  made  firmer,  no 
doubt,  by  the  pipe  of  opium  which  he  was  in  the  habit 
of  smoking  before  retiring.  Jakey  was  in  the  secret, 
and  could  be  thoroughly  trusted,  and  there  were  no 
neighbors  likely  to  call  after  dark.  A  message  was  ac- 
cordingly sent  to  the  barn,  advising  Paul  to  .make  his 
appearance  in  the  ranch-house,  and  just  after  the  clock 
had  struck  ten  he  was  admitted  by  the  kitchen  door. 

The  food  and  rest  of  which  he  had  partaken  had  al- 
ready effected  a  distinct  change  for  the  better  in  his 
appearance,  though  he  still  bore  evidence  of  the  trials 
he  had  undergone.  Though  much  stronger  than  on  the 
preceding  day,  his  breath  came  short  and  he  started  at 
each  sound  like  the  hunted  man  he  believed  himself  to 


STRANGER  THAN"  FICTION".  135 

be.  Marian  kissed  his  thin  cheeks  and  put  her  arm  in 
a  sisterly  way  about  his  dilapidated  coat.  She  took 
pains  to  turn  the  key  in  the  lock  of  the  hall  door,  so 
that  in  case  of  surprise  he  could  escape  by  a  window. 
Then,  with  Jacob  by  her  side,  she  sat  down  near  the 
sofa  on  which  Paul  reclined  and  made  ready  to  hear  his 
narrative. 

"  I  want  you  to  answer  me  one  question  before  I  be- 
gin," he  said,  earnestly.  "  Do  you  believe  I  was 
guilty  ?  " 

The  girl  hesitated  and  the  silence  grew  painful. 
Jacob  fidgeted  in  his  seat  and  finally  said :  "  We'll  be- 
lieve anythin'  yer  tell  us,  Paul.  If  yer  did  take  the 
stuff,  I  hope  yer've  got  it  stored  away  where  it'll  be 
some  use  t'  yer." 

"  Hush  !"  (From  Marian.)  "  I  want  to  believe  you 
were  innocent,  Paul.  They  said  you  had  a  fair  trial. 
God  knows,  I've  hoped  it  was  all  a  mistake.  If  you  did 
it,  poor  boy,  you've  been  dreadfully  punished.  If  you 
didn't  do  it,  no  one  can  ever  make  up  to  you  the  suffer- 
ing you've  been  through." 

"  Mannie,  before  my  God  !  I  know  no  more  than  you 
what  became  of  those  bonds  !  I  never  had  a  thought  of 
touching  them,  and  when  they  accused  me  I  didn't 
know  what  to  say.  Why  should  I?  I  had  the  com- 
bination to  the  safe  and  could  have  stolen  everything 
in  it,  months  and  months  before  that  time,  if  I  had  had 
such  a  disposition.  There  was  money  there,  and  it  was 
found  all  right  and  straight.  If  I  wanted  to  steal  would 
I  leave  that  money  and  take  a  lot  of  bonds  that  I  would 
have  to  sell  at  great  risk?  And  then,  if  I  had  taken 


136  STRAKGER  THAN  FICTION.; 

anything,  is  it  likely  I  would  stay  there  to  be  suspected 
and  arrested  ?  Oh,  Mannie,  I've  known  all  along  that 
in  your  heart  you  thov  ;'at  I  did  it;  and  that's  been  the 
hardest  thing  I  had  to  bear !  " 

Tears  coursed  down  the  cheeks  of  the  sister. 

"  On  what  evid  nee  did  they  convict  you,  then?"  she 
sobbed.  "  What  di !  they  have  to  offer  to  the  jury  to 
make  them  bring  in  that  verdict?" 

"  Why,  I  was  the  only  person,  so  Air.  Morse  swore, 
who  had  the  safe  combination.  The  lawyer  who  was 
appointed  to  defend  me  did  the  best  he  could,  but  there 
was  the  question — who  else  could  have  opened  that  safe 
but  me?  The  bonds  were  gone.  Somebody  must  be 
punished  and  the  jury  were  shown  that  I  had  been  in 
the  reform  school  before.  They  thought  a  bad  record 
in  so  young  a  boy  was  evidence  of  what  might  be  ex- 
pected, and  they  had  to  have  a  victim." 

The  fists  of  the  small  brother  doubled  up  and  his 
teeth  grated  together  as  he  listened.  He  would  have 
been  pleased  at  a  chance  to  tackle  the  entire  "  twelve 
good  men  and  true  "  who  had  done  Paul  this  wrong  if 
he  could  have  been  let  loose  on  them  at  that  moment. 

"  Dear,  dear  brother,"  said  Marian,  winding  her 
arms  about  the  neck  of  the  recumbent  figure.  "  I  do 
believe  you  guiltless,  though  I  must  own  I  have  doubted 
it.  I  thought  you  denied  the  crime  for  the  sake  of  the 
rest  of  us — so  that  we  might  say  you  were  unjustly 
convicted.  Forgive  me!  But  now  I  am  firmly  con- 
vinced. Tf  you  had  $40,000  you  would  not  be  here  in 
these  rags,  almost  fainting  for  lack  of  nourishment. 
Oh,  I  know  you  never  did  it,  my  darling  brother !  " 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  137 

Paul  submitted  with  satisfaction  to  her  embraces,  re- 
turning the  kisses  she  showered  on  his  checks  and  lips. 
It  was  an  hour  he  had  hoped  for  earnestly  during 
weary  months  of  captivity. 

"  Who  did  it?"  Marian  asked,  when  she  could  con- 
trol herself.  "  If  we  could  only  find  out !  " 

"  You  know  what  the  people  of  Stromberg  said." 

"  Yes,  but  I  can't  believe  they  were  right.  Do  you 
know  what  Air.  Morse  has  done,  ever  since?  He  has 
taken  the  interest  on  those  securities  out  of  his  personal 

funds  and  paid  it  regularly  for  Mr." she  hesitated, 

frightened  to  see  how  near  she  had  come  to  pronoun- 
cing the  name  of  her  younger  brother — "  paid  it  reg- 
ularly to  Mr.  Keith  for  their  owner.  That  looks  like  the 
act  of  an  honest  man,  Paul.  In  our  sorrow  and  humili- 
ation let  us  not  be  guilty  of  injustice  because  a  wrong 
has  been  done  to  us." 

Paul  breathed  heavily  and  pressed  his  palms  upon  his 
aching  head. 

"  I  never  said  a  word  to  imply  that  I  thought  so, 
Mannie.  either  to  my  counsel  or  in  my  evidence.  The 
lawyer  hinted  the  talk  of  the  townspeople  to  me,  and  I 
wouldn't  hear  to  his  bringing  it  into  the  case.  Mannie, 
I've  been  a  bad  boy  sometimes,  but  I've  always  loved 
you,  and  knowing  how  much  you  thought " 

He  paused,  troubled  as  his  sister  had  been  by  the 
eager  ears  of  Jacob,  who  realized,  however,  the  way 
the  sentence  was  about  to  end  as  well  as  if  it  had  been 
audibly  finished.  The  boy  rose  to  his  feet,  and,  with  a 
face  distorted  with  rage,  uttered  two  words  with  all  the 
angry  force  of  his  being. 


138  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

"Damn  him!"  And  when  his  sister  looked  at  him, 
thunderstruck,  he  repeated,  "Damn  him!"  with  the 
same  vehemence,  unabashed  by  her  astonished  eyes. 

"Who  taught  you  such  dreadful  language?"  she 
asked,  for  though  Jacob  had  used  similar  expressions 
before,  it  had  not  been  in  her  presence. 

"  He  taught  me  !  "  was  the  rough  reply.  "  When  he 
stole  that  stuff  hisself  and  laid  it  on  Paul  he  taught  me 
what  to  think  of  him,  and  some  day  I'll  say  it  ter  his 
face.  Yer  a  nice  sister,  Mannie,  ain't  yer,  to  care  for 
that  scamp  more  than  fer  yer  own  brother !  Wait  till 
I'm  old  enough  ter  settle  with  yer  Morse,  that's  all!  " 

Marian's  face  paled  at  the  charge  thus  brusquely  put 
into  form  by  the  small  lips.  She  hed  felt  for  the  past 
two  years  that  this  allegation  might  some  time  be 
brought  against  her,  and  that  it  would  have  to  be  met, 
but  she  had  not  looked  for  it  from  this  source.  Paul 
came  to  her  rescue,  saying  Mannie  had  troubles 
enough  without  listening  to  harsh  talk  from  her  own 
family;  at  which  Jacob  subsided  sulkily  and  resumed 
his  seat. 

"  There  was  another  clerk  in  the  office  with  you," 
suggested  Marian,  wiping  her  tears  away.  "  He  could 
have  learned  the  combination,  couldn't  he,  by  watch- 
ing you  when  you  opened  the  safe?" 

''Willie  Hay  ward!  I  would  trust  him  with  my 
life.  And  there  he  is  to-day,  at  his  desk  right  where 
I  left  him,  pinching  himself  on  the  same  small  salary 
to  help  his  old  mother  take  care  of  his  sisters.  There's 
a  mystery  about  the  loss  of  those  bonds,  Mannie, 
that's  too  much  for  me.  I  made  up  the  combination 


STRANGER   THAN   FICTION.  139 

I  used  and  neither  told  it  to  any  one  nor  wrote  it  on 
paper.  Mr.  Morse  always  came  to  me  to  open  the 
safe  when  he  wanted  to  get  anything.  You  can  see 
how  dark  these  facts  were,  coupled  with  the  knowl- 
edge that  I  had  been  sentenced  before." 

More  to  compose  her  nerves,  shaken  by  Jacob's  at- 
tack, than  for  any  other  reason,  Marian  said  she  was 
going  upstairs  to  make  sure  that  her  father  and  Elsie 
were  sound  asleep.  She  asked  Paul  to  lock  the  par- 
lor door  after  her  and  open  it  only  when  he  heard 
four  low  raps  on  the  panel.  She  returned  after  sev- 
eral minutes  with  the  announcement  that  all  was 
quiet,  and  the  conversation  was  resumed. 

"  Tell  me  how  you  escaped,"  she  said,  rearranging 
•her  brother's  sofa  pillow  to  make  him  more  comfort- 
able, "  and  how  you  managed  to  make  that  long  jour- 
ney unaided." 

"  It  was  entirely  unexpected.  I  had  secured  the 
friendship  of  the  officers  long  before  and  was  given 
many  privileges  not  commonly  given  to  prisoners. 
Among  these  they  allowed  me  to  keep  in  my  cell  the 
clothes  I  wore  when  sentenced,  and  every  evening  I 
used  to  put  them  on  in  my  solitude  and  imagine  that 
I  was  again  a  free  man,  unsoiled  by  the  stripes  of  a 
felon.  It  was  the  one  happy  hour  in  the  day  to  me, 
and  as  I  never  broke  any  of  the  rules  and  was  regard- 
ed as  a  model  prisoner,  no  special  watch  was  had  over 
my  movements.  A  Y.  M.  C.  A.  young  man  of  the 
city,  who  devoted  himself  to  lightening  the  lot  of  the 
inmates,  brought  me  books  such  as  were  allowed  and 
sometimes  spent  an  evening  with  me  in  my  cell.  He 


I4O  STRANGER  THAN  FlCTIONT. 

was  permitted  to  come  and  go  as  he  pleased,  within 
reasonable  limits,  for  it  was  felt  that  his  influence  was 
good.  Though  not  a  clergyman  he  was  very  re- 
ligious, and  never  left  without  asking  me  to  kneel 
with  him  while  he  prayed.  I  don't  believe  much  in 
that  sort  of  thing,  as  you  know,  Mannie,  but  his  visits 
were  so  welcome  that  I  humored  him.  He  is  in  very 
poor  health,  and  people  say  he  does  not  expect  to  live 
long. 

"  One  evening,  while  praying  just  before  the  hour 
for  departure,  his  voice  suddenly  stopped;  he  had 
fallen  on  'the  floor  of  my  cell.  I  picked  him  up  and 
laid  him  on  my  cot,  too  weak  to  speak.  The  thought 
of  escaping  by  this  means  suddenly  entered  my  brain. 
I  put  on  his  cloak  and  hat,  rapped  to  the  guard,  who 
was'  half  asleep  in  the  corridor,  and  actually  passed 
without  challenge  through  the  outer  gate  and  into  the 
open  world,  while  the  door  of  my  cell  was  locked  on 
the  other  man. 

"  Feeling  that  I  had  but  a  short  time  before  the  au- 
thorities of  the  prison  would  learn  of  my  escape,  I  put 
the  greatest  possible  distance  between  myself  and  my 
late  home.  A  freight  train  I  was  lucky  enough  to 
catch  carried  me  nearly  two  hundred  miles  before 
morning.  Then  began  a  series  of  hidings  by  day  and 
travelling  by  night,  begging  for  food,  working  at  any- 
thing I  could  get  to  do,  a  voyage  by  steamer  through 
Lake  Michigan,  in  the  capacity  of  cook's  helper,  stolen 
rides  again  on  the  rail,  and  so  on,  constantly  near- 
ing  my  destination. 

"  Though  sometimes  nearly  frantic  with  hunger  I 


jTHANGER  THAN  FICTION.. 

never  stole  anything  more  valuable  than  a  ride  on  the 
cars.  I  exchanged  the  clothes  I  wore  for  these  which, 
though  much  inferior,  would  lessen  my  chances  of  dis- 
covery, as  a  printed  description  had  undoubtedly  been 
circulated  concerning  me.  It  is  a  horrible  story,  sis- 
ter, and  I  do  not  like  to  go  into  it  any  deeper  than  is 
necessary.  When  I  reached  this  house  I  was  so  ex- 
hausted that  I  must  have  given  up  had  there  been  a 
mile  further  to  go.  I  imagined  you  had  read  in  the 
papers  of  my  escape,  and  I  had  no  money  to  pay  the 
postage  if  I  had  thought  it  wise  to  write." 

Many  times  the  sisterly  arms  had  clasped  Paul  dur- 
ing this  brief  recital,  and  the  sisterly  lips  had  been 
pressed  lovingly  to  his  face. 

"  We  seldom  see  any  newspapers  here,"  said  Ma- 
rian. "  We  are  cut  off  almost  as  completely  from  the 
world  as  you  were.  I  am  trying  to  think  what  can 
be  done  now.  Day  after  to-morrow  is  the  time  fixed 
for  us  to  move  to  Olluma.  You  would  not  be  safe 
.with  us  if  there  is  anybody  searching  for  you.  I  can 
give  you  some  money,  thank  God!  but  I  am  much 
puzzled  what  to  advise  you." 

They  talked  over  this  matter  for  some  minutes.  It 
.was  clear  that  Paul  must  act  the  part  of  a  fugitive  for 
a  long  time,  as  there  was  no  means  of  knowing  how 
earnest  an  effort  would  be  made  to  apprehend  him. 
He  was  willing  to  work,  and  did  not  intend  to  be  too 
particular  as  to  the  kind  of  occupation,  anything  being 
a  luxury  compared  to  what  he  had  passed  through 
in  his  disgraceful  confinement. 

"  I've  heard  it  said  that  in  cases  like  mine  what  looks 


142  STRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 

boldest  is  often  safest,"  he  said.  "  If  I  were  to  go  to 
one  of  these  towns  and  get  employment  the  chances 
are  a  thousand  to  one  nobody  would  ever  think  of 
looking  for  me  there.  I  dropped  our  family  name 
when  I  got  out  of  the  reform  school  and  I  shan't  take 
it  up  again  till  I  can  look  the  world  in  the  face  and 
prove  I  never  was  a  thief.  I  was  convicted  as  Her- 
bert Brown,  not  Paul  Gardner,  you  know." 

"Dear,  dear  brother!"  murmured  Marian,  ten- 
derly. "  As  soon  as  I  get  the  others  settled  in  their 
new  home  I  will  go  to  Illinois  and  try  to  convince 
Mr.  Morse  that  a  wrong  has  been  done  you." 

He  told  her  that  great  caution  would  be  necessary; 
that  she  would  have  to  profess  ignorance  of  his  es- 
cape, as  the  first  requisite;  that  dust  must  be  blown  in 
the  eyes  of  his  pursuers,  in  case  they  suspected  his 
whereabouts;  and  that  any  letters  .she  sent  him  would 
have  to  be  mailed  in  out-of-the-way  places  and  with 
great  secrecy.  All  of  which  she  agreed  to  remem- 
ber and  promised  to  act  with  the  utmost  discretion. 

"  You  have  heard  of  Mr.  Keith,  the  lawyer,"  he 
said.  "  He  let  me  know  at  the  time  that  he  believed 
in  my  honesty,  but  being  an  old  friend  of  the  Hall 
family  he  couldn't  come  into  the  case.  Go  to  him 
for  advice.  He  is  an  honorable  man  and  you  will 
be  safe." 

Jacob,  who  had  been  sitting  absorbed  in  his 
thoughts  for  the  past  ten  minutes,  had  started  at  the 
word  "Hall,"  as  indeed,  had  his  sister.  She  had 
feared  much  to  have  that  name  brought  into  the  de- 
bate, but  knew  no  way  to  warn  Paul  against  it  with- 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  143 

out  telling  him  something  she  wanted  particularly  to 
conceal.  The  small  brain  noted  not  only  a  name  that 
was  his  bete  noire,  but  the  uneasiness  manifested  by 
Marian  as  well.  There  was  something  here  that 
Jacob  meant  to  ferret  out  if  possible. 

Fearing  to  continue  the  interview  longer — it  was 
now  nearly  midnight — Marian  suggested  that  Paul 
had  best  return  to  his  concealment,  which  he  did 
without  demur. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

"  SHALL  I  GO  ON  ?  "  HE  ASKED. 

THE  removal  of  the  Gardners  to  Olluma  took  place 

at  the  appointed  time,  and  all  of  the  family  were  much 
pleased  to  get  into  their  new  home.  To  Elsie  es- 
pecially the  change  from  the  loneliness  of  the  ranch 
brought  great  delight,  and  the  nearness  to  Mr.  Hall, 
for  whom  she  had  grown  to  have  a  strong  affection, 
heightened  the  pleasure  she  felt.  Though  she  had 
passed  most  of  her  life  since  babyhood  in  seclusion 
from  society,  she  could  remember  in  a  dim  way  her 
earlier  days  in  a  larger  community.  Mr.  Hall  had 
come  into  her  life  as  a  bright  sunbeam,  and  the  rela- 
tions that  he  had  assumed  toward  her  made  him  fill  the 
place  of  a  parent,  brother  and  friend,  on  whom  she  im- 
plicitly relied. 

Though  she  was  now  nearly  eighteen  years  of  age 
her  experiences  were  very  meagre,  and  her  first  days 
at  Olluma  can  only  be  compared  in  excitement  to  tint 
of  some  village  girl  who  makes  her  first  visit  to  a  city. 
Everything  was  new  and  wonderful.  The  little  town 
was  a  metropolis,  to  her  narrow  perceptions.  The 
small  shops  were  emporiums  of  surpassing  grandeur. 
The  little  groups  that  strolled  up  and  down  the  side- 
walks of  an  evening  were  immense  concourses  of  peo- 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  145 

pie.  The  conveyances  for  freight  and  passengers  were 
a  gigantic  procession  of  wonders  on  which  she  never 
tired  to  look. 

On  Sunday,  when  everybody  donned  their  best  cloth- 
ing and  went  to  the  churches,  she  gladly  followed,  en- 
tranced with  the  crowd,  the  organ,  the  singing,  even 
the  sermon,  more  eloquent  than  she  had  supposed 
public  speaking  could  be.  With  the  additional  funds 
at  her  disposition,  new  gowns,  hats  and  other  articles 
of  apparel,  purchased  under  Marian's  more  mature  di- 
rection, had  transformed  her  into  what  she  thought 
a  gorgeously  attired  young  miss.  Books,  in  which  she 
had  a  decided  interest,  could  be  obtained  both  from 
the  Sunday  school  and  a  free  library,  and  she  plunged 
headlong  into  reading.  When  an  occasional  concert 
or  theatrical  company  visited  the  place  and  she  was 
permitted  to  occupy  one  of  the  seats  in  the  balcony,  she 
thought  heaven  itself  must  be  inferior  to  the  wonders 
displayed.  She  used  to  ask  Marian  if  any  troupes  as 
fine  as  these  traveled  in  the  States  farther  east,  and  ex- 
pressed the  opinion  that  nothing  superior  could  pos- 
sibly be  found  anywhere. 

Nothing  was  more  pleasing  to  her,  however,  than 
the  evening  calls  of  the  man  she  regarded  as,  to  a 
great  extent,  the  cause  of  her  changed  life.  Mr.  Hall 
had  shone  like  a  star  of  the  first  magnitude  at  the 
ranch,  where  there  were  no  rivals  to  be  compared  with 
him;  and  here,  among  a  hundred  other  young  rnen, 
he  suffered  nothing  of  importance  in  her  eyes.  She 
heard  him  spoken  of  as  one  of  the  brightest  young 
lawyers  and  most  successful  business  men  of  his  years 


146  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION". 

in  the  town.  She  often  had  occasion  to  notice  the 
deference  with  which  he  was  addressed,  even  by  men 
older  than  himself.  It  was  a  miracle  that  so  gifted 
and  important  a  citizen  should  take  such  interest  in  a 
friendless  child  whose  acquaintance  he  had  made  in 
a  most  unconventional  fashion. 

And  while  Elsie  noticed  this  of  Mr.  Hall,  she  could 
not  help  feeling,  more  than  ever  before,  the  striking 
contrast  he  presented  to  her  unfortunate  father.  Mr. 
Gardner  changed  none  of  his  habits  in  his  new  home, 
spending  all  the  money  he  could  get  hold  of  for  liquor, 
loafing  around  the  saloons  when  not  occupied  with  a 
dirty  black  pipe  at  home,  bringing  nothing  to  his  fam- 
ily, either  in  material  aid  or  credit.  Elsie  had  not 
minded  it  half  as  much  out  on  the  ranch,  where  there 
were  so  few  to  notice,  but  here  she  felt  the  disgrace  of 
having  such  a  progenitor  and  sometimes  her  thoughts 
were  bitter  indeed. 

The  family  had  one  piece  of  good  fortune  that  de- 
serves to  be  noticed — they  secured  that  rarity  in 
Southern  California,  a  capable  woman,  to  take  the 
place  of  Ah  Wing,  and  preside  over  the  exacting  duties 
of  the  household  labors.  A  widow  named  Skane,  who 
proved  a  capable  and  careful  housekeeper,  was  dis- 
covered by  Marian  in  some  way  and  substituted  for 
the  Chinaman.  Not  only  did  she  attend  to  the  kitchen, 
but  her  influence  was  felt  in  other  departments.  The 
family  treated  her  with  consideration,  when  she  proved 
that  she  deserved  it,  and  she  attended  to  their  wants 
quite  as  if  doing  the  work  of  a  home  of  her  own. 

Master  Jakey  made  trouble  at  first  by  getting  into 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  147 

difficulties  at  the  school  to  which  he  was  sent.  His 
wild  habits  came  reluctantly  under  the  sway  of  legu- 
lar  rules,  and  he  had  a  way  of  answering  when  spoken 
to  by  his  teacher  which  did  not  agree  with  her  ideas 
of  politeness  and  discipline.  He  was  really  anxious 
to  learn,  however,  and,  after  several  collisions  in  which 
he  came  out  worsted,  he  settled  down  to  a  better  com- 
prehension of  his  relative  position  in  the  establish- 
ment. On  holidays  he  always  loaded  a  gun — re- 
taining the  rifle  Mr.  Hall  had  left  so  long  before — and 
went  out  into  the  country  after  game,  generally  bring- 
ing something  for  the  table  as  the  result  of  his  sports- 
manship. Victor  tried  to  win  the  boy's  good  will  by 
many  little  artifices,  and  a  truce  was  patched  up  be- 
tween them;  but  it  was  evident  no  very  warm  feeling 
had  been  engendered  in  the  breast  of  the  strange 
young  chap,  in  spite  of  all  the  efforts  used. 

It  was  the  full  intention  of  Elsie  to  discover  some 
way  of  relieving  the  family  exchequer  from  the  cost 
of  her  support,  but  the  impending  departure  of  her 
sister  to  the  East  made  it  seem  best  that  she  should 
postpone  the  scheme  till  her  return.  Marian,  as  may 
be  guessed,  did  not  reveal  to  Elsie  anything  about 
Paul's  escape  from  prison,  and  it  was  presumed  to 
be  for  the  sake  of  visiting  him  in  his  confinement  that 
the  journey  was  made.  The  latest  misfortune  that 
had  happened  to  the  brother  was  not  believed  to  be 
known  on  the  Pacific  coast,  and  the  family,  though 
pressed  down  with  its  weight,  was  relieved  from  the 
additional  pain  such  knowledge  among  their  neigh- 
bors would  have  caused  them, 


148  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

Elsie  realized  that  there  was  a  chapter  in  Marian's 
Career  that  had  been  purposely  concealed  from  her, 
but  she  did  not  make  herself  uncomfortable  on  that 
account.  If  she  had  a  tendency  to  morbidness,  the 
full  place  that  Mr.  Hall  took  in  her  life  acted  in  the 
opposite  direction. 

Mr.  Sewall,  the  young  minister,  had  come  oftener 
to  Olluma  to  see  them  than  was  absolutely  required 
by  the  obligations  he  had  assumed  as  technical  guard- 
ian of  the  minor  children.  He  passed  most  of  his 
time,  too,  not  with  them,  but  with  Marian,  in  whom 
he  could  not  conceal  his  deep  interest,  notwithstand- 
ing his  bad  fortune  in  seeking  a  more  intimate  rela- 
tionship. Just  before  the  girl  was  to  leave  for  the 
East  he  came  on  a  special  errand. 

"  There  is  something  I  must  say  to  you,"  he  re- 
marked, as  soon  as  they  were  free  from  listening  ears. 
"  And  I  am  at  a  great  loss  how  to  approach  the  sub- 
ject." 

Without  the  least  idea  what  he  had  in  mind  she  re- 
plied that  she  would  leave  that  to  him  entirely,  rely- 
ing on  his  good  judgment. 

"Is  it  anything  about  me  or  my  family?"  she 
asked,  thinking  to  aid  him,  as  he  was  a  long  time  in 
beginning. 

"  Not  about  you — nor,"  he  hesitated  for  the  right 
expression,  "any  of  your  family — in  Olluma." 

She  glanced  around  in  a  frightened  way,  for  she 
could  not  mistake  his  meaning.  The  word  "  Paul" 
rose  to  her  lips,  but  she  did  not  utter  it.  She  sat  there 
eying  him  with  unconcealed  uneasiness. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTJON.  149 

"Shall  I  go  on?"  he  asked,  meekly.  Then,  when 
she  bowed  assent,  he  continued,  "You  have  one  very 
dear  to  you,  Marian,  who  has  endured  great  suffering. 
It  is  of  him  that  I  wish  to  speak." 

"How  did  you  know?"  she  asked,  with  straining1 
eyes. 

"  In  a  very  strange  way.  I  have  a  friend,  a  dear 
friend,  who  lives  in  an  Illinois  town,  and  has  long  de- 
voted his  failing  life  to  aid  those  who  need  help  and 
too  often  find  none.  He  has  always  kept  up  a  corre- 
spondence with  me  and  has  related  a  great  deal  of  his 
experience  in  this  self-appointed  work.  Before  I  ever 
knew  you  he  wrote  of  a  bright  young  man  who  had 
attracted  his  interest  and  in  whose  innocence  of  the 
charge  against  him  he  had  come  to  have  full  confi- 
dence." 

"Bless  him  for  that!"  interrupted  Marian,  de- 
voutly. 

"All  of  the  facts  the  young  man  knew  were  put  in 
my  friend's  possession,"  Mr.  Sewall  went  on,  slowly. 
"  He  then  went  to  the  Governor  and  urged  a  pardon, 
showing  how  insufficient  was  the  evidence  on  which 
a  conviction  was  made,  but  no  favorable  result  was 
achieved.  So  earnest  did  he  become  in  the  matter 
that  it  wore  upon  his  spirits  and  troubled  him  exceed- 
ingly. One  evening  when  visiting  the  prisoner  in 
his  cell — I  must  use  plain  words  now — he  had  an  at- 
tack of  vertigo,  during  which  the  young  man  seized 
the  opportunity  to  make  his  escape,  using  the  outer 
garments  of  my  friend  to  avoid  recognition  from  the 
guards." 


I5O  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

The  minister  eyed  Marian  narrowly  as  he  ended  tuw 
last  sentence,  and  saw  distinctly  that  her  brother's 
flight  was  no  secret  to  her. 

"  The  name  the  young  man  bore  in  the  town  where 
he  had  lived,"  pursued  the  narrator,  "  was  Herbert 
Brown.  His  other  name  (I  am  not  going  to  speak  it 
aloud)  he  confided  to  my  friend,  with  the  information 
that  his  family  lived  near  Brayton  in  this  State.  In- 
terested in  the  coincidence  my  friend  wrote  me,  ask- 
ing if  I  knew  a  family  of  that  name,  and  (you  may  as 
well  know)  it  was  from  this  cause  that  I  first  became 
interested  in — in  that  family.  I  have  never  said  any- 
thing to  you  about  this  matter,  and  only  do  so  now 
because  I  thought  you  should  know  of  the  escape  of 
— Mr.  Brown — and  because,  convinced  that  a  great 
wrong  has  been  done  him,  I  wish  to  offer  my  services 
in  any  way  you  may  suggest." 

She  managed  to  say  that  he  was  very,  very  kind,  but 
she  was  in  a  peculiar  situation.  This  Mr. — Brown — 
had  himself  requested  that  no  person  be  informed 
about  any  of  his  movements,  and  she  felt  bound  by 
the  promise  she  had  given  him. 

"You  have  heard  from  him,  then?" 

"  Yes;  I  think  I  have  the  right  to  say  that.  I  be- 
lieve, however,  that  it  is  best  that  we  drop  the  sub- 
ject for  the  present.  If  any  contingency  arises  in 
which  you  can  aid  me  I  shall  not  hesitate  to  call  upon 
you." 

He  thanked  her  warmly  and  said  he  would  be  glad 
to  have  ber  postoffice  address,  as  he  might  find  it  im- 
portant to  write  her  during  her  absence.  She  re- 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  151 

plied  with  a  blush,  as  she  realized  the  lack  of  faith  she 
seemed  to  show,  that  he  could  give  anything  he  wished 
to  Elsie,  who  would  see  it  was  forwarded  safely. 

Before  taking  her  departure  from  the  State  Marian 
had  another  secret  meeting  with  Paul,  at  which  she 
provided  him  with  funds  enough  for  the  present  and 
gave  him  her  best  counsel.  He  was  now  twenty-two 
years  of  age — seven  years  older  than  when  last  seen 
by  any  resident  of  California  except  herself  and 
Jakey — and  a  full  beard  that  he  was  cultivating  would 
disguise  him  beyond  probable  recognition.  Marian 
urged  him  to  be  careful,  however,  and  to  wait  the 
outcome  of  her  efforts. 

Only  a  few  days  after  she  went  away  Mr.  Whiteley 
remarked  to  his  partner  that  they  needed  an  assistant 
in  the  office,  who  was  capable  of  copying  documents 
and  attending  to  minor  matters  of  business.  It  was 
agreed  that  if  the  right  person  could  be  obtained  he 
should  be  engaged,  and  a  notice  of  what  was  required 
was  published  in  the  Olluma  Eagle. 

Paul  Gardner  saw  it  and,  with  the  courage  of  des- 
peration, decided  to  apply  for  the  position.  Although 
he  had  no  references  in  the  vicinity,  being  as  he  said 
a  "tenderfoot,"  his  manner  of  address,  the  specimen 
of  penmanship  that  he  exhibited,  and  perhaps,  more 
than  anything  else,  the  fact  that  he  was  willing  to 
work  for  $10  a  week  to  begin  with,  won  the  day  with 
Mr.  Whiteley.  He  was  accordingly  given  a  desk  in 
an  inner  office,  and  to  his  great  satisfaction  found  him- 
self again  earning  an  honorable  living. 
Mr.  Hall  was  gone  at  the  time,  and  when  he  re- 


152  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

turned  the  new  clerk  nearly  fell  in  a  faint.  It  had 
never  occurred  to  him  that  Hall  of  Whiteley  &  Hall 
was  or  possibly  could  be  the  man  for  the  larceny  of 
whose  papers  he  had  suffered  imprisonment.  It  was 
clear,  however,  that  Mr.  Hall  did  not  remember  ever 
seeing  him  before  and  he  decided  to  stay  where 
he  was. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  153 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

A  STARTLING  SUPERSCRIPTION. 

MARIAN  GARDNER  was  gone  for  some  weeks,  and 
Victor  Hall  came  regularly  to  the  house  during  her 
absence,  feeling  his  responsibility  temporarily  greater 
on  that  account.  Though  Mr.  Sewali  was  technically 
guardian  of  the  ones  who  most  needed  oversight,  he 
lived  at  Brayton.  And  while  there  was  nothing  special 
required  of  either  of  them,  it  was  so  evidently  agree- 
able to  Elsie  to  have  him  come,  and  so  undoubtedly 
pleasant  to  himself  to  go,  that  the  daily  visits  were  be- 
gun and  continued  as  a  matter  of  course. 

Victor  often  thought  of  the  hints  he  had  gained  from 
Jacob  as  to  an  absent  brother — the  one  who  had  "  done 
up  a  man  "  when  he  was  only  a  boy,  and  who  was  never 
alluded  to  in  any  conversation  to  which  he  had  listened. 
Sometimes,  too,  the  strange  expression  came  back  to 
him — "  Why  don't  you  take  the  other  one?  She's  used 
to  fellers  like  you."  In  spite  of  all  he  could  do,  a  feel- 
ing of  uneasiness  overcame  him.  He  wondered  if  lie 
ought  to  separate  Elsie  from  the  influence  of  one  who 
seemed  her  natural  protector. 

"Business  affairs  took  up  his  time  so  thoroughly  that 
every  minute  of  the  day  was  occupied.  His  law  firm 
was  getting  the  larger  share  of  the  county  litigation, 


154  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION, 

besides  the  drawing'  of  papers  and  confidential  dealing's 
wkh  clients.  Mr.  Hall  had  not  yet  argued  any  cases  in 
court — Mr.  Whiteley  attended  to  that — but  he  pre- 
pared evidence  and  arranged  testimony  in  a  way  that 
made  the  work  of  his  partner  comparatively  light. 
Then  there  was  something  always  to  do  about 
the  gold  mine,  which  did  not  pan  out  quite  as  rich  as 
had  been  expected.  In  such  a  case  more  shrewdness 
is  needed  than  where  a  bonanza  develops  at  the  start. 
The  lead  that  had  induced  the  purchase  of  the  Gardner 
ranch  looked  as  if  it  was  going  to  "  peter  out,"  to  use 
the  phrase  employed  by  Mr.  Beal. 

This  induced  Mr.  Whiteley  to  study  up  a  means  of 
getting  something  out  of  the  surface  of  the  ground. 
He  evolved  a  plan  of  starting  a  town  there,  the  situa- 
tion being  very  healthful  and  sightly.  He  had  streets 
surveyed,  introduced  a  larger  supply  of  water,  and 
built  several  houses  as  a  starter  for  the  expected  settle- 
ment. He  advertised  the  lots  in  the  usual  florid  way 
common  to  new  States  and  not  wholly  unknown  in 
older  ones,  but  no  sales  were  made.  Whiteley  and 
Hall  began  to  find  themselves  running  pretty  close  to 
the  wind.  As  Beal  had  nothing  but  w7hat  he  could 
earn  with  his  hands,  the  financial  prospects  of  the  con- 
cern were  far  from  assuring. 

Whiteley  brought  matters  to  a  head  one  day  by  call- 
ing Beal  to  the  office  with  a  letter,  and  telling  him  he 
must  either  submit  to  an  assessment  of  $5,000,  the 
same  amount  to  be  contributed  by  each  of  the  others, 
or  the  concern  would  have  to  be  wound  up.  Beal  could 
just  as  easily  have  put  in  a  half  million  as  the  sum 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  155 

named,  and  he  was  driven  to  the  very  point  Whiteley 
wanted. 

"  I  don't  know  where  under  the  skies  I  could  get 
any  such  pot  of  money,"  he  said. 

"  Well,  then,  it's  either  buy  or  sell.  We're  stuck  on 
this  thing,  unless  we  can  put  enough  money  in  to  boom 
the  town  and  drive  the  digging.  Hall  and  I've  got 
about  $15,000  of  good  cash  in  there  now.  What'll  you 
give  us  to  get  out,  and  if  you  can't  pay  cash  let  us  have 
your  notes,  with  security  on  the  property?  " 

"  I  couldn't  run  the  thing  alone,"  sighed  the  miner. 
"  What  would  you  and  Hall  give  me  for  my  third — 
spot  cash?  Perhaps  we  can  trade  that  way." 

Mr.  Whiteley,  who  had  now  got  the  matter  just 
where  he  wanted  it,  said  he  would  consult  with  his 
partner  and  let  him  know  in  a  few  days.  Something 
had  got  to  be  done.  Unless  a  good  deal  more  money 
was  invested,  all  that  was  there  would  drop  out  of  sight 
and  never  again  be  seen. 

Knowing  by  experience  that  Mr.  Hall  had  a  vein  of 
conscientiousness  in  his  composition,  Whiteley  ap- 
proached the  subject  guardedly.  He  related  the  condi- 
tion of  affairs,  which  his  partner  could  not  deny  was 
dubious.  He  spoke  of  the  need  of  putting  more  money 
in,  and  of  the  impossibility  of  Beal's  responding  to  a 
call.  Finally  he  brought  in  the  offer  of  the  miner  to 
sell  his  interest,  without  mentioning  how  it  came  about 
that  he  made  it. 

"  If  we  can  get  his  third,"  said  Whiteley,  seeing  that 
the  idea  made  a  deep  impression,  "  and  then  secure 
enough  funds  to  push  the  work  on  the  tunnel,  I've  no 


I  =.6  STRANGER  THAN   FT 

w 

doubt  we  will  soon  be  in  a  position  to  make  the  thing 
pay  handsomely.  It  would  take,  I  suppose,  $5,000  or 
more  to  settle  with  Beal,  and  we  ought  to  have  twice 
that  in  the  treasury  to  go  on  with.  Could  you  raise 
$7,500  at  short  notice,  as  your  share?  " 

Hall  looked  at  his  partner  out  of  the  corner  of  one 
eye.  Was  Whiteley  trying  to  freeze  him  out,  too?  If 
he  was,  he  would  find  he  had  undertaken  no  easy  task. 

"  I  think  I  can  get  it,"  said  he.  "  There  are  two  or 
three  strings  I  can  pull  back  East,  if  it  seems  worth  do- 
ing. You've  no  doubt  of  your  own  capacity  in  the 
same  direction,  I  suppose?" 

Whiteley  reddened  a  little  at  this  and  replied  that 
he  had  been  in  correspondence  with  a  man  who  con- 
trolled capital  and  wanted  to  loan  some  of  it  in  that 
section.  He  thought,  with  the  prospects  of  ultimate 
success,  he  could  get  his  share  of  the  money  required, 
without  doubt. 

Another  talk  was  had  with  Beal,  this  time  at  the 
mine,  and  after  backing  and  filling  for  some  hours,  the 
miner  consented  to  accept  the  $5,000  offered  him  and 
to  assign  his  shares,  half  to  each  of  'the  others.  He  was 
discouraged  and  thought  he  would  seek  his  fortune 
in  some  other  part  of  the  country. 

Hall  left  town  for  a  week,  saying  he  would  have  to 
make  a  journey  of  that  duration  to  secure  his  funds, 
and  when  he  returned  'brought  with  him  even  more 
than  the  sum  he  required.  He  exiplained  that  it  was 
necessary  to  secure  his  creditor  by  an  assignment  of 
his  shares  in  the  corporation,  of  which  he  now  owned 
fifty  per  cent.,  and  Whiteley  admitted  that  he  would 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  157 

have  to  do  the  same  thing.  The  assignments  fortu- 
nately did  not  have  to  go  on  record,  'but  that  of  Hall 
was  made  to  his  old  friend,  Air.  Keith,  while  that  of  his 
partner,  to  Victor's  astonishment,  bore  the  name  of 
Oscar  Feltan  of  Stromberg,  111. 

"  I  have  learned  from  Mr.  Felton  that  he  was  once 
acquainted  with  you,"  said  Mr.  Whiteley,  as  he  saw 
the  astounded  look  on  Mr.  Hall's  face.  "  He  was 
looking  for  a  good  rate  for  some  money  he  had  to  in- 
vest, and  I  managed  to  convince  him  he  could  trust 
me.  I've  never  seen  him,  the  whole  business  being 
conducted  by  mail,  but  he's  coming  out  here  by-and-by 
and  you'll  have  the  pleasure  of  meeting  him  again." 

The  expression  on  Mr.  Hall's  face  did  not  indicate 
that  much  "  pleasure  "  was  anticipated  from  the  meet- 
ing referred  to.  He  was  in  fact  greatly  distressed  at 
what  he  heard.  It  brought  up  a  long  train  of  thoughts 
that  caused  him  uneasiness.  As  soon  as  he  could 
recover  partial  equanimity  he  plied  Whiteley  with  ques- 
tions: How  had  he  heard  of  Mr.  Felton?  In  what 
manner  had  Mr.  Felton  learned  that  he  (Hall)  was  in 
the  office  with  Whiteley?  What  had  he  said  about 
him,  in  the  exact  language,  if  possible? 

"  It  was  rather  odd,"  said  Whiteley.  "  I  saw  an 
advertisement  in  a  Chicago  paper,  stating  that  the  ad- 
vertiser had  money  to  loan  on  Western  property.  I 
answered  it,  naturally  using  the  letter  heads  of  our 
firm.  Mr.  Felton,  in  his  reply,  mentioned  that  he  be- 
lieved my  partner  was  a  young  man  who  came  from 
his  section  of  the  country,  and  that  he  hoped  our  rela- 
tions would  be  pleasant  and  profitable  to  all  concerned. 


158  STRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 

This,  with  the  enclosure  of  a  draft  for  $6,500,  the 
amount  I  needed  to  complete  my  agreement  with  you, 
was  about  all  there  was  to  it,  except  the  statement  I 
have  referred  to,  that  he  would  come  at  as  early  a  date 
as  convenient  to  visit  this  section  and  perhaps  invest 
other  moneys  here,  if  I  had  anything  to  recommend." 

Victor's  brow  cleared  somewhat  as  his  partner 
reached  the  end. 

"  I  only  want  to  say,"  he  remarked,  "  that  I'm  glad 
you  didn't  get  him  into  any  relations  with  us  as  a  firm. 
He's  all  right  as  far  as  you  are  concerned  but  he 
couldn't  do  any  business  with  me.  Don't  ask  me  the 
particulars — it  was  a  wholly  private  affair — only  if  you 
learn  in  time  of  the  date  he  expects  to  arrive  in  Olluma, 
give  me  a  chance  to  take  a  vacation  until  he  has  left 
town." 

Whiteley,  though  with  much  wonder  in  his  eyes, 
gave  the  required  promise.  The  newly-arranged  cor- 
poration went  on  with  its  business  and — as  happened 
more  than  once  in  similar  cases — prosperity  attended 
it  from  the  start.  Good  fortune,  that  had  dodged  the 
tripartite  partnership,  had  only  been  just  around  the 
corner,  and  showered  her  smiles  on  the  dual  owners. 

"  It's  always  the  darkest  hour  just  before  morning," 
and  "  It  never  rains  but  it  pours,"  were  some  of  the 
expressions  that  Whiteley  made  use  of  to  indicate  the 
altered  conditions.  It  was  in  fact  marvellous  how 
everything  came  their  way,  once  the  tide  set  toward  the 
shore.  "  Pay  dirt  "  of  a  very  rich  quality  was  found 
not  fifty  feet  from  the  line  at  which  they  had  crossed 
the  Gardner  ranch,  while  investors  in  house  lots,  who 
had  been  holding  off  so  long,  came  in  shoals  and 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  159 

planked  down  their  money.  Stories  of  these  extraordi- 
nary happenings  got  into  the  newspapers  (not  wholly 
without  the  knowledge  in  advance  of  Mr.  Whiteley) 
and  both  partners  were  soon  approached  with  offers  of 
unlimited  capital,  should  they  need  any,  or  several 
times  the  cost  of  their  investment,  should  they  prefer 
to  sell  out  at  that  stage. 

Victor  grew  quite  dizzy  at  this  influx  of  prosperity. 
He  had  long  hoped  for  something  of  the  kind,  and  had 
believed  in  his  heart  that  it  would  be  his  fate  to  achieve 
it,  but  now  it  was  here  it  almost  frightened  him.  The 
fact  that  the  new  profits  came  almost  altogether  from 
the  Gardner  tract  added  greatly  to  his  uneasiness. 
Everything  seemed  honest  enough,  as  far  as  he  was 
concerned,  in  the  acquirement  by  his  corporation  of 
that  property,  but  he  was  in  the  disagreeable  position, 
for  all  that,  of  sharing  in  immense  gains  which  ought, 
he  was  half  persuaded,  in  equity  to  belong  to  others. 

Sometimes  when  Whiteley  talked  in  an  exhilarated 
strain  of  the  fine  returns  they  were  having,  Hall  could 
not  help  adverting  to  this  phase  of  the  question. 

"  I  wish  we  had  taken  the  Gardners  into  partner- 
ship," he  used  to  say.  "  It  seems  hard  that,  when  they 
need  money  so  much,  it  should  have  been  taken  away 
when  almost  within  touch  of  their  hands." 

"  Bosh !  "  the  other  would  exclaim.  "  Don't  en- 
courage hypochondria.  That  ore  was  there  millions 
of  years  before  they  bought  the  ranch,  and  would  have 
been  there  a  million  more  for  all  they  would  have 
known  of  it.  They  got  a  big  price,  much  'bigger,  I 
assure  you,  than  thev  would,  but  for  your  friendly  of- 


l6o  STRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 

nces.  Not  a  cent  of  all  we're  taking  out  how,  by  our 
capital  and  courage,  can  by  the  wildest  reasoning  be 
shown  to  belong  to  them.  But,"  he  added,  with  a 
laugh,  "  if  you  persist  in  thinking  otherwise,  you  have 
a  remedy  that  can  be  applied  even  yet." 

Hall  looked  the  inquiry  that  naturally  arose. 

"  Why,  hand  them  your  haii  of  the  profits  as  fast  as 
received.  You'll  admit  that  something  belongs  to  the 
enterprise  and  skill  that  has  developed  the  mine  and 
the  town  site.  I'll  take  that  half  as  my  share,  and  you 
can  give  up  yours  in  the  way  I  suggest.  I  guess,  when 
it  comes  to  that,  you'll  think  twice,  though.  You've 
a  tender  heart,  my  dear  fellow,  but  you  mustn't  let  it 
run  away  with  you  on  a  matter  of  business." 

Mr.  Hall  decided  that  it  would  be  right  for  him  at 
least  to  get  out  of  his  investment  enough  to  pay  for 
the  cash  he  had  put  into  it,  and  as  this  would  take 
some  little  time,  with  the  new  machinery,  expenses 
connected  with  laying  out  the  lots,  etc.,  he  dismissed 
the  matter  from  iiis  mind  for  the  present.  But  when 
his  tranquility  was  restored  on  this  point  it  was  dis- 
turbed almost  immediately  on  another,  as  is  often  the 
case  in  this  world  of  trouble. 

Happening  soon  after  into  the  postoffice  to  get  the 
mail  from  the  lockbox  which  his  firm  hired  there,  the 
postmaster  accosted  him  with  a  question: 

Yon  know  everybody  in  this  region,  I  think,  Mr. 
Hall.  Here  is  a  letter  that's  been  h^rc  a  week  and  I 
don't  remember  any  -ncrson  of  that  name.  At  the  ho- 
tel thev  are  in  similar  ignorance.  Have  you  ever  heard 
of  a  Mr.  R.  A.  Morse  around  these  parts?  " 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  l6l 

Like  one  dazed  Mr.  Hall  regarded  the  speaker,  as 
the  letter  was  put  into  the  hand  he  mechanically 
stretched  out  to  receive  it. 

Mr.  Richard  A.  Morse,  Olluma,  Cal. 

It  was  an  innocent  enough  address,  but  what  added 
to  the  astonishment  of  the  young  lawyer  and  confirmed 
him  in  his  suspicion  of  the  identity  of  the  owner  was 
the  distinct  stamp  in  one  corner,  "  Stromberg,  111." 
What  could  his  old  enemy  be  doing,  that  people  ad- 
dressed letters  to  him  at  this  place? 

"  I  don't  think — there's  any  such  man  here,"  he  man- 
aged to  articulate,  and  turned  abruptly  away. 

"  He  must  be  coming,"  he  added,  breathing  hard,  as 
he  walked  back  to  his  office.  "  Is  it  a  mere  accident, 
or  lias  he  in  his  mind  some  new  annoyance  for  me? 
I'll  risk  a  wire  to  Keith,  and  see  what  he  knows  about 
it.  I'd  rather  see  the  evil  one  himself  than  that  same 
oily,  sneaking  hypocrite." 

The  answer  from  Mr.  Keith  came  promptly: 

Man  left  town  several  days  ago.    Know  nothing  else 
about  it. 

"  He's  coming  without  doubt,"  mused  Mr.  Hall, 
darkly.  "  Well,  I  won't  be  here  to  lose  my  temper 
over  him." 

He  closed  up  a  few  affairs,  locked  his  private  desk, 
wrote  a  note  to  WThiteley  that  he  was  going  down  to 
the  mine,  and  ithen  called  the  new  clerk  from  the  next 
room. 

"  I'm  going  out  of  town/'  said  he,  "  and  can't  tell 


l62  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

when  I  shall  come  back.  If  a  man  named  Richard 
Morse  calls  to  see  me  tell  him  that,  and  write  me  what 
answer  he  makes,  at  the  postoffice  in  Brayton.  Under- 
stand, I  want  to  get  rid  of  the  man.  Make  no  mis- 
take now." 

"  I  will  be  careful,  sir,"  answered  the  new  clerk,  in  a 
scarcely  audible  whisper. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  163 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 
"  YOU  CAN'T  STOP  FOLKS  TALKING." 

GERTRUDE  FELTON  was  the  idol  and  pet  of  her 
father.  In  the  seemingly  severe  way  he  had  treated 
her  when  the  question  of  an  interview  with  Victor 
Hall  was  mooted  he  had  done  only  what  he  thought 
for  her  best  and  lasting  good.  When  he  saw  her  fall 
to  the  floor  in  a  faint,  when  the  physician  who  was 
summoned  looked  grave  and  said  she  had  evidently 
suffered  a  violent  shock,  when  the  recovery  of  the 
young  woman  took  weeks,  and  when  her  spirits 
seemed  entirely  broken,  Mr.  Felton  began  to  realize 
that  he  had  gone  too  far. 

But  by  this  time  there  was  little  he  could  do  to  com- 
fort her.  Victor  had  left  town  and  nobody,  so  far 
as  he  could  learn,  knew  where  to  find  him.  He  had 
gone  in  anger  and  distress,  in  a  mood  that  might  fairly 
be  called  desperate.  The  only  destination  -that  could 
be  ascribed  to  him  was  the  very  indefinite  one  "  Out 
West; "  which,  it  will  be  admitted,  is  a  territory  rather 
wide  in  extent. 

Convinced  that  if  he  persisted  in  his  daughter's 
making  a  marriage  such  as  he  had  intended,  he  would 
soon  have  no  daughter  at  all,  Mr.  Felton  reluctantly 
resigned  his  dreams  of  glory.  He  told  Gertrude  he 


164  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

would  do  his  best  to  find  Mr.  Hall  and  if  the  young 
people  were  able  to  come  to  any  agreement  in  regard 
to  their  future,  he  would  not  stand  in  their  way.  Ger- 
trude smiled  faintly  and  kissed  her  parent's  cheek  in 
gratitude,  but  whispered  that  she  had  little  hope  that 
Victor  would  be  found,  or  that,  in  any  case,  he  would 
renew  his  courtship.  She  said  he  was  a  young  man 
of  high  pride,  which  had,  she  feared,  been  too  deeply 
wounded  to  risk  another  rebuff.  But  the  father  com- 
forted  her  with  better  predictions,  and  the  little  gleam 
of  hope  that  came  to  her  bosom  brought  her  up  from 
the  sick  bed  and  out  into  the  world  once  more. 

Feeling  reasonably  certain  that  Mr.  Keith  knew 
Hall's  whereabouts,  Mr.  Felton  used  every  means  he 
could  think  of  to  worm  it  out  of  him.  True  to  his 
promise,  however,  the  lawyer  continued  to  express 
ignorance,  quoting  as  proof  the  fact  that  although  the 
newspapers,  far  and  wide,  had  printed  accounts  of  the 
arrest  of  Brown,  Mr.  Morse's  clerk,  no  word  had  been 
received  from  Hall  by  any  one  in  authority. 

"  He  told  me  he  was  going  West,"  said  Mr.  Keith, 
"  and  that  when  he  got  settled  he  would  let  me  know. 
Probably  it  takes  him  longer  than  he  expected." 

When  the  trial  of  the  clerk  came  up,  Gertrude  was 
able  to  attend  one  of  the  sessions.  She  saw  the  pris- 
oner in  the  clock  and  the  prisoner  saw  her.  With 
the  natural  kindness  of  heart  of  a  young  girl,  she  pitied 
him,  but  it  never  occurred  to  her  to  doubt  the  cor- 
rectness of  the  jury's  decision.  She  pitied  Victor, 
too,  who  had  sustained  this  great  loss,  at  a  time  when 
he  needed  his  fortune  especially,  for  though  he  could 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  165 

not  get  hold  of  the  principal  (he  had  talked  that  mat- 
ter over  with  her)  the  income  would  be  worth  much  to 
him  while  struggling  for  a  foothold  in  a  new  part  of 
the  country.  She  did  not  know  of  Morse's  resolve 
to  keep  up  the  dividends. 

As  time  passed  on  the  girl  spoke  to  Mr.  Keith  with 
her  own  lips,  more  than  once.  One  day  he  told  her 
that  Mr.  Morse  had  paid  him  the  interest  on  the  lost 
bonds,  and  that  he  was  holding  it  for  Mr.  Hall.  This 
seemed  to  indicate  more  than  ever  that  Victor  had 
dropped  all  communication  with  his  former  friends, 
and  she  grew  melancholy  again  at  the  thought  that 
she  might  never  hear  from  him.  Perhaps  he  had 
succumbed  to  the  privations  of  frontier  life! 

Her  father,  when  this  idea  was  suggested,  told  her 
it  was  extremely  improbable.  Victor  was  in  good 
health,  young  and  resolute.  He  was  very  set  in  his 
ways  and  having  decided  to  abandon  the  East  had 
doubtless  gone  to  the  full  extreme  in  that  intention. 
Mr.  Felton  said  he  would  try  some  new  scheme  to  as- 
certain his  whereabouts  and  felt  certain  he  would  suc- 
ceed in  time. 

As  anxious  now  as  was  Gertrude  to  find  Mr.  Hall, 
Mr.  Felton  took  a  dozen  ways  to  accomplish  that  end, 
some  of  them  suggested  by  a  detective  with  whom  he 
went  into  correspondence.  When  one  plan  failed 
he  was  ready  to  try  another,  and  his  confidence  sus- 
tained the  hopes  of  his  frail  daughter,  who  was  in 
spite  of  all  efforts  sinking  in  health.  One  of  his 
ideas  was  to  advertise  in  a  large  group  of  Western 
newspapers  that  he  had  money  to  loan  at  a  low  rate 


1 66  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

of  interest.  It  was  in  answer  to  this  that  the  letter 
from  Mr.  Whiteley  came,  along  with  a  thousand 
others  of  no  interest  to  him.  When  Mr.  Felton  saw 
on  his  desk  the  heading  "  Whiteley  &  Hall,"  with  the 
words  "  Abner  Whiteley,  Victor  Hall,"  below  it,  he 
could  hardly  contain  his  delight.  He  hastened  home 
and  cried  to  Gertrude,  "  We've  got  him  at  last,  my 
girl !  "  and  nearly  threw  her  into  a  dangerous  palpi- 
tation of  the  heart  by  his  abruptness. 

It  seemed  the  most  sensible  thing  Felton  could  do, 
when  Mr.  Whiteley  sent  his  prospectus  showing  that 
the  mine  was  going  to  be  a  great  success  and  that  all 
he  wanted  was  $6,500,  for  which  he  would  pledge  his 
shares,  to  let  him  have  the  amount  without  delay.  If 
anything  happened  to  Whiteley's  calculations,  and  the 
shares  were  forfeited,  it  would  make  Felton  a  sort  of 
partner  with  Mr.  Hall,  a  thing  he  would  welcome  with 
delight.  He  had  now  also  a  good  excuse  for  appear- 
ing at  Olluma,  for  examining  the  property  at  Bray- 
ton,  for  frequenting  the  offices  in  which  Mr.  Hall  was 
to  be  found. 

In  response  to  many  questions  Mr.  Whiteley  wrote 
his  patron  considerably  more  about  his  partner  than 
he  communicated  to  that  young  man.  Thoroughly 
pleased  at  Felton's  interest  in  the  mine  and  town-site, 
he  was  glad  to  oblige  him  in  every  way,  agreeing  at 
the  same  time  to  keep  from  Victor  the  knowledge  that 
such  facts  had  been  asked  for  or  forwarded.  When 
Felton  learned  that  there  was  "a  young  woman 
named  Gardner,"  to  whom  Hall  was  paying  much 
attention  "  (in  the  words  of  Mr.  Whiteley),  he  decided 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  167 

tnat  it  was  time  to  move  his  forces  to  the  scene  of  con- 
flict and,  in  the  words  of  the  immortal  soldier,  "move 
immediately  upon  "  his  "  works." 

New  strength  seemed  to  come  to  Gertrude  when 
she  found  that  she  was  to  be  taken  on  a  journey  that 
would  probably  bring  her  face  to  face  with  the  man 
she  loved.  She  made  elaborate  preparations,  laying 
in  a  large  stock  of  lovely  garments,  feeling  that  her 
impression  on  Victor  should  be  influenced  by  every 
adventitious  circumstance.  On  arriving  at  San  Fran- 
cisco they  received  a  letter  from  Mr.  Whiteley,  saying 
that  Mr.  Hall  had  gone  away  for  a  few  days  and  that 
they  had  best  come  at  once  and  get  comfortably  set- 
tled in  town  before  his  return.  This  removed  the 
dim  apprehensions  that  had  begun  to  creep  into  Ger- 
trude's mind,  and  she  went  forward  with  a  lighter 
heart. 

"  I'm  sorry  I  can't  spend  much  time  with  you  for  a 
few  days,"  said  Mr.  Whiteley,  as  he  was  riding  wfth 
them  in  a  carriage  to  the  hotel.  "  My  clerk  was 
taken  ill  a  few  days  ago,  which  leaves  an  extra  burden 
on  my  shoulders,  with  Mr.  Hall  away  at  the  same 
time.  However,  I  will  make  up  for  this  later." 

"  Your  firm  is  evidently  doing  a  large  business," 
said  Mr.  Felton. 

"The  largest  in  this  part  of  California.  Since  I 
took  Mr.  Hall  into  partnership  we  have  had  more 
cases  offered  us  than  we  can  attend  to.  The  mine 
and  the  surrounding  interests,  too,  are  looking  splen- 
didly. I  shall  be  glad  to  take  you  down  there  next 
week." 


l68  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

The  day  after  the  arrival  of  the  Feltons  two  other 
passengers  known  to  the  reader  left  the  train  at  Ol- 
luma.  One  of  them  bore  a  decided  resemblance  to 
Mr.  Richard  Morse,  and  the  other  was  recognized 
by  several  people  at  the  station  as  Miss  Marian 
Gardner. 

As  soon  as  Marian  could  do  so  she  made  a  hasty 
visit  to  the  offices  of  Whiteley  &  Hall,  to  warn  her 
brother  that  Mr.  Morse  was  in  town,  and  that  he  had 
best  keep  out  of  the  way  for  the  present.  The  office 
boy  told  her  Brown  was  ill  and  had  not  been  at  work 
for  several  days,  which  convinced  her  that  Paul  had 
in  some  way  learned  of  his  danger  and  taken  warn- 
ing. Returning  home  she  got  Jakey  to  go  to  Paul's 
lodgings  and  learn  'what,  if  anything,  he  wanted  her 
to  do. 

Mr.  Sewall  came  to  town  during  the  day  and  sought 
out  Miss  Gardner.  He  had  been  troubled  by  a  let- 
ter just  received  from  his  friend  in  Illinois.  It  told 
him  that  Marian  had  been  in  town,  had  called  at  the 
prison  and  asked  to  see  her  brother  (evidently  with 
the  hope  of  throwing  the  authorities  off  the  scent,  in 
case  they  suspected  her  of  knowing  his  whereabouts), 
and  had  probably  been  followed  by  detectives,  who 
believed  they  would  find,  by  keeping  on  her  track, 
where  Paul  was  hiding.  Mr.  Sewall  had  stopped  at 
the  hotel,  before  coming  to  the  house,  to  see  if  any 
strange  looking  men  were  there,  and  had  come  across 
the  name  of  "  Richard  A.  Morse,  Stromberg,  111.,"  on 
the  register,  with  those  of  "Oscar  Felton  and  Miss 
Gertrude  Felton,"  of  the  same  town,  recorded  on  the 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  169 

preceding  day.  Such  an  influx  of  Illinois  people 
boded  no  good,  he  feared,  to  the  escaped  prisoner. 

"  You  know  Mr.  Morse,  at  least,"  he  said,  as  he 
finished  the  main  part  of  his  story.  "  He  was  the 
prosecutor,  I  think,  when  your  brother  was  arrested  ?n 

"  I  do  know  Mr.  Morse,"  said  Marian,  shivering, 
"and  he  is  the  man  you  suspect.  He  came  on  the 
train  with  me.  I  have  already  been  to  warn  Paul,  but 
he  must  have  got  word  before  in  some  way,  for  the 
office  boy  reports  him  absent.  Now  I  have  sent 
Jacob  to  see  what,  if  anything,  he  wishes  me  to  do." 

"  Do  you  know  whether  Mr.  Morse  suspects  Paul 
to  be  in  this  vicinity?  " 

The  questioner  had  learned  of  Paul's  nearness  from 
Marian  by  mail. 

"  I  fear  it,  though  he  professes  to  have  made  the 
journey  for  the  sake  of  conferring  with  Mr.  Hall." 

"  Did  you  talk  with  him  about  your  brother?  About 
the  question  of  not  opposing  a  pardon?" 

Marian  told  her  whole  story  then.  She  had  gone 
first  to  Joliet,  where  she  asked  for  the  prisoner  Brown 
and  expressed  surprise  to  hear  that  he  had  vanished. 
She  then  went  to  Stromberg,  where  she  asked  Mr. 
Morse  if  he  would  still  oppose  an  attempt,  should  one 
be  made,  for  a  legal  termination  of  the  case  against 
the  convict. 

"  What  did  he  say  to  that?  " 

"  He  said  that  a  pardon  would  not  be  likely  to  be 
granted  to  a  prisoner  who  had  escaped  from  custody; 
that  as  Brown  was  now  free,  one  was  not  necessary; 
and  that,  in  any  case,  before  he  would  interest  him- 


I7O  STRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 

self  for  the  young  man,  he  would  have  to  restore  the 
$40.000  he  had  taken.  All  of  which  rendered  my 
journey  worse  than  useless." 

Mr.  Sewall  talked  anxiously  about  the  brother,  fear- 
ing that  he  was  not  safe  in  Olluma,  and  offering  him 
an  asylum  at  his  house  in  Brayton.  Marian  brought 
him  a  photograph  of  Paul,  taken  several  years  before, 
and  said  he  now  had  a  full  beard  that  altered  the  face 
thoroughly. 

"  Jakey  admits  that  he  would  never  have  known 
him  when  he  arrived  here  but  for  my  information. 
Elsie  has  spoken  with  him  twice  at  the  office,  when 
she  has  been  there  to  see  Mr.  Hall,  and  suspected 
nothing.  I  think  he  could  not  be  safer,  for  surely 
that  is  the  last  place  they  would  dream  of  finding  him. 
However,  I  will  let  him  know  of  your  offer,  and  if 
anything  transpires  to  cause  alarm  he  will  gladly,  I 
have  no  doubt,  accept  a  refuge  with  you." 

Mr.  Sewall  asked  if  she  knew  anything  about  the 
Feltons  of  Stromberg,  and  she  told  him  that  they  were 
wealthy  people,  having  no  doubt  come  West  on  a 
pleasure  trip. 

When  the  minister  left  the  house  of  the  Gardners 
he  met  a  man  coming  into  the  yard  whom  he  recog- 
nized as  the  person  at  the  hotel  who  had  been  pointed 
out  to  him  by  the  clerk  as  Richard  Morse. 

"  Pardon,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Sewall,  speaking  on  the  im- 
pulse of  the  moment.  "Whom  do  you  wish?" 

Mr.  Morse  looked  at  the  questioner  critically  but 
.without  any  assumption  of  displeasure.  He  essayed 


STRANGER  TITAN   FICTION.  17! 

to  continue  his  walk  without  replying,  but  could  not 
do  so  without  pushing  the  other  aside. 

"  I  have  called,"  he  said,  finally,  "  to  see  a  member 
of  the  family." 

"Which  one?"  persisted  Mr.  Sewall,  surprised  at 
his  own  nerve. 

The  front  door  opened  and  Marian  appeared. 

"  Walk  right  in,"  she  said.  Then,  as  if  she  had 
just  noticed  Mr.  Sewall,  she  added  a  few  words,  pre- 
senting the  men  to  each  other.  They  bowed  coldly 
and  formally,  and,  Mr.  Sewall  stepping  aside,  Morse 
passed  in.  The  door  closed  again  and  the  minister 
went  up  the  street,  his  head  reeling. 

"  Can  she  have  asked  him  to  call?  "  he  said  to  him- 
self, "and  if  so  for  what  reason?  Does  she  expect 
to  persuade  him?  I  have  heard  he  is  a  very  hard 
man.  What  influence  can  she  hope  to  bring  to  bear 
on  him,  when  he  has  refused  so  long?  " 

The  problem  was  too  great,  and  he  did  not  like  to 
go  back  to  Brayton  without  some  further  effort  to 
solve  it.  He  went  to  the  hotel,  registered,  and  de- 
cided to  remain  overnight,  instead  of  taking  a  moon- 
light drive  home  as  he  had  intended. 

In  the  way  of  travelers  the  world  over  he  got  into 
conversation  after  supper  with  Mr.  Felton  who,  learn- 
ing that  he  knew  Mr.  Hall,  made  a  great  many  inquir- 
ies about  that  gentleman,  stating  that  he  had  known 
him  in  the  East  and  his  father  before  him,  and  had 
the  greatest  confidence  in  his  ability  and  integrity. 
Gertrude  had  retired  to  her  room  and  the  conversa- 
tion between  the  men  was  uninterrupted. 


172  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

"  There  is  also  in  town  another  resident  of  Strom- 
berg,"  said  Mr.  Sewall,  when  he  found  a  chance  to 
introduce  that  subject.  "  You  know  him,  I  sup- 
pose? " 

"  Mr.  Morse  ?    Yes;  he  is  an  insurance  agent." 

"  A  man  of  high  standing  and  character,  I  presume, 
being  in  that  business?  " 

"  Well — I  don't  know  as  anyone  could  prove  to  the 
contrary.  He's  considered  rather  queer,  though,  by 
many.  You  may  have  read  in  the  papers  of  the  rob- 
bery of  his  safe  by  a  clerk,  several  years  ago,  of  $40,- 
ooo — or  more  likely  have  heard  the  story  from  Mr. 
Hall,  to  whom  the  property  really  belonged.  You 
have?  Well — I  express  no  opinion  of  my  own — 
there  are  people  who've  always  believed  Morse  knows 
more  about  the  disappearance  of  that  package  than 
he  would  like  to  admit.  Mind,  I  don't  say  I  think 
so,  but  you  can't  stop  folks  talking,  you  know." 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION*  I7J 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

MISS  FELTON  BEGINS  HER  TASK. 

IT  is  not  difficult  for  people  who  come  to  spend  a 
short  time  in  small  towns,  especially  when  they  have 
every  evidence  about  them  of  prosperity  in  the  thing's 
of  this  world,  to  get  acquainted.  Gertrude  Felton 
learned  from  Mr.  Whiteley,  through  her  father,  what 
family  it  was  that  Mr.  Hall  devoted  most  of  his  atten- 
tion to  in  Olluma,  and  an  introduction  to  the  Gardner 
home  followed  speedily.  "  Friends  of  Mr.  Hall "  was 
the  only  recommendation  needed  and  the  humble  cour- 
tesies of  the  home  were  tendered  by  both  the  sisters. 
In  return  Gertrude  hired  the  best  pair  of  horses  the 
local  livery  afforded  and  easily  induced  the  girls  to  take 
drives  with  her  through  the  surrounding  country,  tak- 
ing one  at  a  time,  the  better  to  pursue  the  investiga- 
tions she  had  in  mind. 

The  first  one  taken  on  these  excursions  was  Marian, 
and  the  conversation  led  from  one  thing  to  another, 
now  being  upon  the  affairs  of  the  vicinity  and  then 
having  reference  to  those  of  the  East.  The  girls  were 
not  far  from  the  same  age  and  notwithstanding  the  dif- 
ference in  what  is  usually  called  their  "  social  rank  " 
they  had  no  difficulty  in  making  themselves  agreeable 
to  each  other. 


174  STRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 

"  Have  you  known  Mr.  Hall  long"? "  was  one  of  the 
first  questions  that  Marian  asked,  when  she  found  her- 
self alone  for  the  first  time  with  Miss  Felton. 

"  Since  childhood.  He  used  to  come  to  our  house 
when  he  was  only  entering  his  teens  and  continued  up 
to  the  time  he  left  Stromberg.  We  were  in  fact  great 
friends  and  I  regretted  his  going  away  very  much.  The 
acquaintance  of  his  father  and  mine  dates  back  many 
years.  You  find  him  very  agreeable,  I  am  sure." 

To  this  Marian  returned  a  warm  affirmative.  She 
told,  with  no  pretence  of  concealment,  of  the  relations 
Mr.  Hall  had  sustained  to  her  family  and  of  the  kind- 
ness he  had  shown  in  taking  care  of  their  small  for- 
tune after  her  mother's  death. 

"  Your  sister  is  a  very  sweet  girl,"  commented  Miss 
Felton.  "  I  do  not  blame  Mr.  Hall  if  he  finds  her  so- 
ciety very  pleasant  indeed,  which  I  am  told  is  the  case, 
I  have  a  mind  to  tell  you  something  about  mvself.  Yes, 
I  will.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  ill  advised  interference 
of  my  father,  Victor  and  I  might  now.  be  occupying 
much  closer  relations  to  each  other. 

The  listener  looked  deeply  interested  -and  Gertrude 
went  on  to  tell  of  Mr.  Felton's  ambitious  plans  for  her, 
in  which  she  had  never  shared,  and  which  had  resulted 
in  his  almost  forbidding  Mr.  Hall  the  house.  She  had 
long  since  convinced  him  that  he  was  in  the  wrong, 
however,  and  when  Victor  and  she  met  she  believed 
everything  would  be  made  right  again.  She  men- 
tioned the  fact  that  her  father  was  a  millionaire  and 
that  she  was  his  only  heir,  not  with  anything  like  arro- 
gance or  superiority,  but  as  if  it  was  the  most  natural 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  175 

thing  in  the  world,  and  Marian  liked  what  seemed  her 
unaffected  confidence  of  manner. 

"  Then  you  love  Mr.  Hall  as  much  as  ever?  "  Marian 
said,  softly,  when  the  other  paused. 

"  Yes,"  was  the  answer,  delivered  with  much  feeling. 
"  I  shall  never  care  for  any  other  man,  no  matter  what 
'  brilliant '  offers  may  come  to  me.  I  have  no  sister, 
dear  Miss  Gardner,  and  it  does  me  good  to  tell  you 
this,  and  to  feel  that  I  can  implicitly  trust  you." 

On  another  day,  when  Elsie  was  substituted  in  the 
carriage  for  her  sister,  Gertrude  reverted  to  the  same 
subject,  though  from  a  slightly  different  point  of  view. 
She  wanted  to  judge  from  her  manner  whether  any- 
thing stronger  than  friendship  existed  between  her  and 
Mr.  Hall. 

"  He  is  making  a  great  success  at  the  tar,  I  hear," 
she  said,  when  they  were  well  embarked  on  the  theme 
that  interested  them  both.  "  I  do  not  suppose  he  will 
care  to  spend  the  whole  of  his  life  in  California,  when 
he  feels  that  his  fortune  is  sufficiently  assured." 

"  Why  not?  "  was  the  wondering  reply. 

"  Oh,  the  brightest  men  in  the  law  drift  back  East, 
where  the  prizes  of  the  profession  are  greater.  Mr.  Hall 
came  here  (shall  I  tell  you?)  under  the  pressure  of  a 
personal  disappointment.  When  that  trouble  is  re- 
moved it  is  only  natural  to  presume  he  will  return  to 
Illinois," 

Elsie's  lips  began  to  tremble. 

"  I  know  all  about  that,"  she  said.  "  You  mean,  his 
lost  property." 

"  Not  altogether.    He  feared  he  had  lost  something 


176  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

else  at  the  same  time — something  of  more  importance 
to  a  young  man  than  wealth.  There  was  a  mistake 
about  this,  which  he  went  away  too  quickly  to  have  ex- 
plained." 

Elsie  repeated  the  words  vaguely,  "  More  important 
than  wealth? " 

"  Yes,  dear.  Victor  and  I  were  close  friends.  My 
father  had  decided  that  I  must  marry  some  man  of  high 
station,  he  being  the  richest  citizen  of  his  town.  It  was 
what  he  said  to  Victor  on  this  subject — without  con- 
sulting me — that  led  to  his  sudden  departure  for  the 
West." 

The  poor  little  heart  was  crushed  in  an  instant.  She 
did  not  know  how  to  pretend.  She  only  said,  "  Stop 
the  carriage,  please!  I  don't  want  to  ride  with  you  any 
further.  I  want  to  get  out." 

"  Why,  my  dear  child,  have  I  hurt  you?  "  exclaimed 
Gertrude,  much  alarmed.  "  Don't  leave  me,  I  beg. 
Let  me  at  least  drive  you  home.  Can  it  be,"  she  added, 
as  the  horses  were  turned  in  an  opposite  direction, 
"  that  you  care  for  him  yourself?  " 

Elsie  caught  her  breath  in  a  pained  gasp.  The  eye- 
lids that  she  lifted  to  her  companion's  face  twitched 
nervously. 

"Do  I  care?"  she  repeated.  "He  is  all  I  have! 
Are  you  going  to  take  him  away  from  me?  You  are 
rich.  You  have  so  many  things,  while  I — I  have  only 
him!" 

Big  tears  rolled  down  her  cheeks  as  she  plead  in  her 
simplicity  for  what  she  valued  more  than  life.  She  did 
not  know  that  it  would  be  the  proper  thing  to 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  177 

hide  her  agony,  to  pretend  that  her  soul  was  not  pierced 
as  with  an  arrow.  She  only  knew  that  this  hand- 
somely dressed  girl  talked  of  robbing  her  of  her  dear- 
est treasure;  and  she  asked  her — as  a  child  might  plead 
with  a  burglar— to  let  it  alone. 

"  I  am  very  sorry,"  said  Miss  Felton.  "  You  are  so 
young — I  never  thought —  Has  he  asked  you  tot 
marry  him,  then?  He  cannot  have  done  that!  " 

"  No,"  was  the  honest  response.  But  I  can't — have 
him  go  away.  He  is  the  dearest  thing  on  earth  to  me. 
I  have  not  thought  of  marriage,  I've  only  thought  that 
he  would  always  be  here — and  that  I  should  see  him 
every  week  of  my -.,  „>' 

She  closed  her  -wollen  eyes  wearily.  "  I  cannot 
have  him  go!  I  'annotl" 

Miss  Felton  fit.  her  ground  slowly. 

"  It  is  very  v  rong  of  him  if  he  has  encouraged  such 
thoughts  in  your  mind,"  she  said,  in  a  low  tone.  "  Do 
you  see  this  ring  on  my  finger?  He  gave  it  to  me,  five 
years  ago,  as  a  token,  and  he  has  never  said  or  written 
a  word  to  take  back  the  pledge  he  gave  with  it." 

But  Elsie  only  repeated,  "Take  me  home!  I  am 
faint.  Take  me  home!  " 

There  was  nothing  else  to  do  and  the  horses  were 
driven  in  the  direction  of  the  Gardner  house.  On  the 
way  Miss  Felton  said  a  hundred  things  to  brighten  the 
weary  eyes  and  bring  a  little  comfort  to  the  sad  face, 
but  nothing  availed  in  the  least.  Marian  saw  them 
from  a  window  and  ran  out  to  help  Elsie  in. 

"  She  was  taken  with  a  faint  spell,"  said  Miss  Fel- 
ton, "  and  asked  me  to  bring  her  back.  A  little  rest 


178  STRANGER  THAN    FICTION. 

will  restore  her,  I  nope,  I  will  run  over  this  evening 
to  see  if  there  is  anything  I  can  do." 

The  girl  was  helped  to  a  bed  on  the  lower  floor 
and  Marian  asked  what  had  caused  her  illness.  When 
she  refused  to  answer,  a  suspicion  of  the  real  reason 
came  to  the  sister's  mind.  She  had  no  doubt  Miss 
Felton  had  been  talking  of  Mr.  Hall  to  Elsie,  and  had 
hurt  her  feelings  in  some  way  in  regard  to  that  mat- 
ter. She  did  not  think  it  wise  to  talk  about  it  then,  but 
acted  the  part  of  a  faithful  nurse,  soothing  the  child 
writh  gentle  words  and  bathing  her  face  with  cooling 
liquids;  the  result  being  that  a  refreshing  sleep  came 
at  last  to  the  tired  head. 

When,  several  hours  later,  Elsie  arose,  she  removed 
the  traces  of  grief  as  far  as  possible  and  sat  down  to 
supper  with  the  rest  of  the  family,  To  Marian's  ques- 
tion as  to  how  she  felt  replied  with  a  firm  voice,  "  I'm 
all  right,  Mannie.  I  never  shall  have  that  kind  oi  at- 
tack again." 

She  passed  the  evening  up  stairs  with  Jacob,  hearing 
him  recite  his  lessons,  in  which  he  had  begun  to  take 
great  interest.  When  Miss  Felton  made  the  promised 
call  she  said  over  the  ballusters  to  her-  sister  that  she 
was  too  busy  to  descend. 

"  I  am  distressed  beyond  measure.  Miss  Gardner/' 
said  Gertrude,  when  the  answer  was  brought  to  her, 
"  at  the  condition  in  which  some  simple  words  of  mine 
left  your  sweet  little  sister.  1  was  telling  her  us  I  did 
you  of  the  relations  Mr.  Hall  has  sustained  toward  me, 
and  happened  to  speak  of  this  ring,  which  ceim-iurd 
our  engagement  five  years  ago.  I  do  not  blame  her 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION.  179 

for  being  fond  of  him — I  do  not  see  how  any,  one  can 
help  it  who  knows  him — but  I  did  not  look  for  any- 
thing like  this.  She  asked  me  to  take  her  home  at 
once,  saying  she  was  faint  and,  of  course,  I  did  so.  I 
hope,  when  she  has  time  to  reflect,  she  will  forgive  me 
if  I  was  too  thoughtless,  but  really,  how  could  I  antici- 
pate the  way  she  would  feel?  " 

A  knock  at  the  front  door  prevented  the  reply  that 
rose  to  Marian's  lips,  and  there  being  no  servant  to 
attend  to  that  duty  she  went  to  open  it  herself.  Mr. 
'Richard  Morse  stood  on  the  threshold. 

"  Ah,  you  have  company!     I  will  call  later,"  he  said. 

"  I  am  just  going,"  said  Gertrude,  rising.  "  I  think 
I  have  met  you  at  Stromberg,  Mr.  Morse.  I  am  the 
daughter  of  Mr.  Felton." 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  hardly  raising  his  eyes  to  her.  "  I 
knew  you  were  at  the  hotel  here.  I  hope  I  have  not 
disturbed  you." 

"Not  in  the  least" 

A  few  minutes  later  Marian  called  up  the  stairway, 
"  Elsie,  aren't  you  coming  down  again  to-night?  " 

"  No."  The  younger  sister  appeared  at  the  upper 
landing.  "  Jakey  has  gone  to  bed  and  I  am  going,  too. 
My  head  aches  still." 

"  Is  father  asleep?  "    (This  in  a  very  low  whisper.) 

"  Long  ago." 

"  Good  night  then,  my  darling." 

"  Wait  a  moment,  Mannie.    I  want  to  kiss  you." 

Stockinged  feet  tripped  down  the  stairs  and  the  two 
girls  held  each  other  for  a  moment  in  a  warm  embrace. 


180  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

"  Are  you  coming  up  pretty  soon,  Mannie?  * 
"  Pretty  soon." 

A  masculine  form  paced  to  and  fro  in  front  of  the 
cottage,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street,  till  nearly 
eleven  o'clock,  watching  the  light  in  the  windows  of 
the  room  where  Mr.  Morse  and  Marian  sat.  When  at 
last  the  insurance  man  emerged  and  took  his  way 
toward  the  hotel,  the  form  crossed  to  the  house  and  a 
hand  tapped  on  the  door. 

"  Why,  Mr.  Sewall !  What  brings  you  at  this 
hour?  " 

"  Miss  Gardner,"  came  the  shaking  voice,  "  why  has 
that  man  been  here  again?  " 

"  Surely  you  ought  to  guess.  I  am  trying  to  arrange 
with  him  for  my  brother's  pardon." 

"  And  can  you  afford  to  pay  a  price  like  this?  "  de- 
manded the  minister,  with  terrible  meaning-.  "  Is  your 
brother's  liberty  worth  purchasing  with  his  sister's  rep- 
utation? " 

"  Mr.  Sewall,  you  are  insulting!  "  Marian  essayed 
to  close  the  door. 

"  I  asked  you  once  to  be  my  honorable  wife,"  he 
said,  preventing  her  from  executing  her  purpose. 
"  You  know  how  much  I  care  for  you.  Tell  me  you 
will  not  meet  that  man  alone  at  night  again." 

But  she  managed  to  wrench  tne  door  from  his  grasp 
and  to  close  and  lock  it  in  his  face. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  l8l 


CHAPTER  XX. 

"ESCAPED!   THANK  GOD!" 

AT  Brayton,  Victor  Hall  was  worried  at  his  enforced 
absence  from  business.  There  were  many  things  at 
Olluma  that  required  his  attention,  while  the  affairs  of 
the  mine  and  'the  town  site  had  always  been  the  partic- 
ular care  of  his  partner.  He  learned  that  the  profits 
from  both  these  sources  were  growing,  and  saw  evi- 
dence that  unless  something  unforeseen  intervened  he 
must  soon  become  a  rich  man,  but  he  felt  restive.  The 
presence  of  Morse,  which  he  learned  was  likely  to  con- 
tinue indefinitely  at  Olluma,  made  him  an  involuntary 
exile.  He  feared  that  he  would  have  to  meet  the  man, 
sooner  or  later,  in  spite  of  all. 

The  news  that  soon  came  by  mail  of  the  presence  of 
the  Feltons  added  to  his  uneasiness  in  no  small  degree. 
He  had  heard  nothing  directly  from  them  since  the 
painful  scene  with  the  father  hvfront  of  his  residence  at 
Stromberg.  To  meet  Gertrude  again  must,  he  be- 
lieved, result  in  an  unpleasant  hour  to  both  of  them. 
He  began  to  think  seriously  of  taking  a  long  trip  to 
some  other  part  of  the  State,  regardless  of  everything. 
But  one  evening  he  was  thunderstruck  to  see  a  party  of 
four  people  drive  up  to  the  little  hotel  where  he  was 
staying,  and  to  find  that  the  situation  must  be  met, 


l82  STRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 

whether  he  liked  it  or  not.  In  the  party  were  Mr.  and 
Miss  Felton,  Mr.  Morse  and  Mr.  Whiteley.  They  had 
come  down  in  a  trap  drawn  by  four  horses,  and  had 
evidently  made  quick  time  across  the  country,  judging 
by  the  heated  condition  of  the  beasts. 

There  was  nothing  to  be  done  but  make  the  best  of 
it,  and  Mr.  Hall  rose  from  his  seat  on  the  hotel  veranda 
and  lifted  his  hat  to  the  visitors.  The  first  to  alight  was 
Whiteley,  who  said,  as  if  he  had  done  the  one  thing 
on  earth  most  delightful  to  his  partner,  "  I've  brought 
some  of  your  old  friends,  Hall."  Next  was  Mr.  Morse, 
who  offered  a  hesitating  hand,  that  Victor  was  obliged 
to  accept,  unless  he  chose  to  attract  attention  by  re- 
fusing it.  Mr.  Felton,  before  helping  Gertrude  down, 
grasped  the  palm  of  Mr.  Hall  as  warmly  as  if  they  had 
always  been  on  the  warmest  terms. 

"  I'm  awfully  glad  to  see  you,  my  boy,"  said  he. 
"  You've  not  forgotten  Gerty,  I'm  sure." 

Miss  Felton's  eyes  'sought  those  of  her  one  time 
lover  with  a  shy  glance  that  told  him  volumes.  His 
heart  began  to  beat  more  violently  as  she  placed  both 
of  her  hands  in  his  in  what  seemed  a  /perfectly  artless 
manner. 

"  How  well  you're  looking!  "  she  remarked,  and  in- 
deed he  had  a  color  that  might  have  been  ascribed  to 
solid  health,  at  that  moment.  "  Papa  wanted  to  see 
the  mine,  and  thought  'the  drive  would  do  me  good." 

As  soon  as  rooms  had  been  engaged  by  the  new 
comers  and  they  had  all  retired  with  the  exception  of 
Whiteky,  to  remove  the  dust  from  their  faces  a«nd 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION.  183 

ihands,  Mr.  Hall  turned  to  his  partner  with  a  worried 
expression. 

"  How  the  devil,"  he  asked,  "  did  you  round  up  that 
crowd?  It's  taken  all  my  breath  away  to  meet  them 
so  unexpectedly." 

"  Thought  it  would  be  a  happy  surprise,"  was  the 
reply.  "  Morse  told  me  he  must  see  you,  if  he  had  to 
wait  six  months,  and  I've  learned  from  Felton  that  he's 
got  some  nice  things  that  you'll  be  glad  to  hear." 

"  What  do  you  mean?  "  demanded  Victor,  reddening 
still  more. 

"  I  guess  I'd  better  let  him  tell  his  own  story.  The 
long  and  short  of  it  is,  though,  he  feels  he's  used  you 
wrongly.  He  practically  wants  to  beg  your  pardon 
and  ask  you  to  let  by-gones  go." 

Mr.  Hall  gasped  in  surprise. 

"  Did  he  tell  you  what  passed  between  us,  before  I 
left  Stromberg?  "  he  said,  bewildered. 

"  Substantially.  The  young  lady  is  yours,  my  boy, 
in  spite  of  all.  You  must  have  made  a  deep  impression 
to  have  it  last  all  this  time,  without  a  word,  as  I  under- 
stand, for  three  years!  That's  what  I  call  faithfulness 
and  I  congratulate  you  with  all  my  heart." 

A  dizzy  feeling  came  across  Mr.  Hall's  brain.  As 
his  partner  vanished  with  a  bright  laugh  he  staggered 
to  the  chair  he  had  recently  vacated  and  gave  himself 
up  to  troubled  thought.  In  his  palms  was  still  the  im- 
pression of  those  little  hands  whose  touch  had  once 
sent  the  deepest  thrills  through  his  veins.  A  long  time 
had  passed — years  in  which  he  had  tried  to  bury  those 
hopes  of  the  old  days. 


X&l  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

Now  the  question  must  be  reopened,  if  what  White- 
ley  said  was  true.  If  Mr.  Felton  was  really  going  to 
ask  him  to  resume  his  relations  with  Gertrude  he  must 
decide  without  more  ado  what  reply  to  make. 

He  had  loved  her  with  the  full  flush  of  his  first 
youthful  passion.  The  frigid  way  in  which  he  had 
been  asked  to  surrender  his  hope  had  changed  the  en- 
tire current  of  his  life.  On  her  account  he  had  aban- 
doned friends  and  the  ties  of  his  old  home  and  gone 
into  the  wild  West  to  begin  an  entirely  new  existence. 
By  a  singular  combination  of  circumstances  he  had  at 
last  reached  a  road  that  would  lead  to  pecuniary  suc- 
cess. Was  it  the  knowledge  of  this  fact  that  persuaded 
the  haughty  millionaire  to  look  with  more  favor  on 
an  alliance  he  had  once  rejected  with  insult?  Victor 
did  not  understand  what  else  could  alter  Mr.  Felton's 
views. 

As  to  Gertrude  herself,  Victor  was  not  quite  certain 
of  his  sentiments  at  the  present  day.  Time  works 
changes  and  he  had  suffered  much  on  her  account. 
Did  he  love  her  still,  or  had  the  experiences  through 
which  he  had  passed  buried  that  most  tender  senti- 
ment? He  grew  weak  as  he  tried  to  decide  this  ques- 
tion, and,  although  he  was  not  quite  sure  what  the  ver- 
dict would  be,  he  found  himself,  before  he  was  aware  of 
it,  pressing  to  his  lips  the  fingers  she  had  touched. 

He  had  quite  forgotten  Morse,  in  the  tumult  that  the 
other  matter  caused  in  his  brain.  When  he  heard  his 
name  spoken  by  the  soft  tones  of  that  individual,  who 
reappeared  on  the  veranda,  he  felt  a  very  disagreeable 
chill. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION  ;  185 

"  Can  I  have  a  few  minutes'  conversation  with  you, 
Mr.  Hall,  before  dinner?" 

"  Is  it  necessary?  "  was  the  not  ovei  polite  reply. 

"  I  have  come  two  thousand  miles.  I  shall  only  de- 
tain you  a  few  minutes." 

Rising  slowly  and  unwillingly,  Hall  motioned  to  the 
other  to  follow  him  and  ascended  to  his  chamber  on  the 
second  floor.  Indicating  that  his  companion  might 
proceed,  Victor  threw  himself  into  a  chair  and  mo- 
tioned him  to  another.  His  manner  was  not  cordial, 
though  he  did  his  best  to  make  it  decent.  He  did  not 
like  Morse;  the  man  knew  it  and  any  attempt  to  con- 
ceal the  fact  would  have  been  quite  apparent.  It  was 
as  well  to  make  no  pretense. 

"  I  hardly  know  how  to  begin,"  came  the  low,  almost 
apologetic  tones.  "  I  realize  that  you  suffered  a  great 
loss  some  years  ago,  that  was  caused — in  a  measure — - 
through  me.  I  feel  that  you  have  a  certain  animosity 
toward  me  on  that  account,  which  I  wish  I  could  con- 
vince you  is  entirely  undeserved." 

He  paused,  as  if  to  give  his  statement  an  interroga- 
tive form,  and  Victor  replied,  "  Quite  useless,"  in  a 
listless  way,  without  looking  toward  him. 

"  I  have  been  surprised,"  pursued  the  speaker,  after 
a  pause,  "  at  your  not  drawing  on  Mr.  Keith  for  the 
dividends,  or  the  equivalent  to  what  they  would  have 
been,  which  I  have  paid  him,  ever  since  the  securities 
were  stolen.  He  tells  me  he  wrote  you  about  the  mat- 
ter and  that  he  presumes  you  received  his  letter.  May 
I  ask  if  you  do  know  that  over  $400  has  been  paid  by 


l86  J&TRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 

me  to  him  for  you  every  three  months  since  my  safe 
was  robbed?  " 

"  I  do  know,"  was  the  impatient  rejoinder. 

"  And  you  ha-  e  never  drawn  a  cent  of  it.     Why?  " 

Mr.  Hall  swung  his  chair  around  so  that  it  would 
face  the  speaker. 

"  You  have  asked  me  a  question,"  he  said;  "  let  me 
ask  you  another.  We  might  as  well  understand  this 
thing  in  its  entirety.  If  you  can  turn  over  to  my  agent 
the  interest  and  dividends  on  this  property,  why  do 
you  not  hand  him  the  bonds  and  stocks  themselves?" 

There  was  not  a  tremor  in  the  eyelids  that  confronted 
the  questioner.  They  were  raised  with  the  least  ele- 
ment of  surprise  in  them,  and  that  was  all. 

"  Did  you  understand,  then,  that  the  securities  were 
recovered?"  asked  Mr.  Morse.  "That  is  an  error. 
The  man  who  was  convicted  of  tiie  theft  made  no  con- 
fession. We  could  not  get  him,  under  any  threat  or 
promise  of  mitigation  of  sentence,  to  surrender  the 
least  part  of  his  plunder." 

Victor  sprang  up  with  every  muscle  on  his  face  dis- 
tended. 

"A  man  convicted  of  the  theft!"  he  repeated. 
"What  man?" 

"  The  one  who  had  exclusive  opportunity  to  commit 
it,  a  clerk  in  my  office  named  Herbert  Brown.  You 
remember  him,  do  you  not?  He  was  the  only  person 
who  kept  the  combination  of  the  safe.  Do  you  really 
mean  that  this  is  news  to  you?  " 

Victor  paced  up  and  down  the  floor  like  a  madman 
for  the  next  few  minutes,  unable  to  utter  a  word. 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION.  l8j^ 

"  I  never  heard  a  word  of  it,"  he  ejaculated  at  last, 
the  perspiration  standing  on  his  forehead.  "  Convict- 
ed, did  you  say?  And  sentenced?  Did  you  succeed  in 
putting  anybody  in  prison,  on  such  flimsy  evidence  as 
that?  " 

"  The  case  was  clear  enough.  He  alone  had  the 
combination  and  the  package  was  taken  without  vio- 
lence." 

"He  alone — except  you!"  said  Hall,  with  un- 
doubted meaning. 

"  He  alone.  I  never  had  it,  thinking  such  a  secret 
best  in  the  custody  of  one  person." 

Stopping  before  the  other  man,  Mr.  Hall  shook  his 
finger  in  his  face. 

"  You  know  whom  the  people  of  Stromberg  think 
took  that  package!  "  he  cried.  "  They  believe  to  a  man 
that  you  have  those  papers  in  your  possession  to-day, 
unless  you  have  disposed  of  them!  " 

Mr.  Morse  was  much  affected  by  this  direct  state- 
ment. He  covered  his  face  with  his  hands  and  a  low 
groan  escaped  his  lips. 

"  I  know  it  too  well,"  he  said,  when  he  raised  his 
head  again.  "  No  one  has  ever  lisped  the  thought 
aloud  in  my  presence  till  this  instant,  but  I  have  been 
made  to  feel  it  like  the  stinging  lash  of  a  whip  on  the 
bare  skin.  It  matters  not  that  the  evidence  in  the  court 
satisfied  a  jury  and  a  judge  that  were  honest  and  im- 
partial ;  that  I  have  tried  to  lead  the  life  of  an  incorrupt 
man;  that  at  the  sacrifice  of  half  my  earnings — depleted 
greatly  on  account  of  this  unjust  accusation — I  have 
managed  to  hand  Mr.  Keith  quarterly  a  sum  equal  to 


188  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

the  income  on  what  you  lost.    They  are  determined  to 

believe  me  guilty  and  now,  I  find,  you  hold  the  same 
opinion.  What  can  I  do — what  can  I  do!  " 

The  perspiration  that  had  streamed  over  Victor 
Hall's  face  came  out  again  in  renewed  streams. 

"  There  is  a  greater  jury  than  any  found  in  our  court- 
rooms," he  said,  "  and  it  has  found  you  guilty.  We  can 
do  no  good  by  discussing  this  question.  Why  have 
you  come  to  California?" 

Restoring  himself  by  a  strong  effort,  Morse  seemed 
in  an  instant  the  quiet,  suave  business  man  of  yore. 

"  1  will  tell  vou,"  he  said.  "  It  is  necessary,  however, 
that  you  keep  my  communication  a  secret  for  the  pres- 
ent. When  the  young  man  accused  (we  will  say  ac- 
cused, since  it  pleases  you  better)  of  purloining  your 
property  from  my  safe,  escaped  from  his  prison — 

"  Escaped!  "  cried  Hall,  startled.  Then  he  muttered 
something  that  sounded  like  "  Thank  God!  " 

"  Yes,  he  escaped  some  months  ago  and  has  not 
since  been  apprehended,  though  the  detectives  think 
they  have  traced  him  and  expect  to  apprehend  him 
soon." 

"  How  long  was  his  sentence?  " 

"  Five  years." 

"And  how  long  had  he  served?" 

"  Between  two  and  three." 

"  For  the  love  of  Heaven!  Is  not  that  enough.  Only 
a  bloodhound  would  want  to  drag  the  man  back  after 
such  punMiment,  and  with  no  direct  evidence  r<-*?m<?t 
him,  either." 

Morse  lifted  his  hands  deprecatingly. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  189 

"  It  is  not  further  punishment  that  is  wanted.  We 
believe  that,  rather  than  undergo  the  rest  of  his  term, 
with  the  additional  penalty  for  running  away,  Brown 
will  own  up  to  the  place  of  concealment  in  which  he 
has  put  your  property.  If  he  does  I,  for  one,  would  be 
willing  to  make  his  sentence  as  light  as  possible.  I 
am  not  vindictive.  I  only  wish  to  see  you  righted." 

lie  talked  as  if  he  were  really  innocent  and  Mr.  Hall 
was  speechless  for  some  time. 

"  That  property  was  mine,"  he  said,  finally.  "  I 
am  going  to  be  rich  enough  without  it,  and  I  won't 
have  the  young  fellow  punished  further  for  a  crime 
he  may  or  may  not  have  committed.  I  shall  communi- 
cate at  once  with  Mr.  Keith  and  .bid  him  use  every 
effort  to  secure  a  pardon." 

"  Excuse  me,"  was  the  reply,  delivered  in  a  mechan- 
ical tone.  "  The  property  at  the  time  it  was  stolen  was 
not  yours;  it  was  mine,  in  my  capacity  of  trustee.  You 
had  no  more  concern  in  it,  according  to  law,  than  the 
man  who  stole  it.  To  put  myself  right  beiore  the  court 
I  must  find  those  bonds  and,  when  you  are  thirty  years 
of  age,  turn  them  over  to  you.  If  I  am  unable  to  do 
that  I  shall  take  my  own  property,  small  as  it  is,  and 
put  that  into  the  scale,  to  the  last  farthing.  If  Brown  has 
not  already  made  way  with  the  securities  and  spent  the 
proceeds,  it  is  my  duty — to  myself,  to  you  and  to  your 
deceased  mother — to  put  every  legal  pressure  on  him 
to  compel  restitution." 

"You  came  here  to  tell  me  this,  did  you?"  asked 
Victor  impatiently. 

"Partly;  and  partly  because  Brown  has  been  seen 


I9O  STRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 

in  Southern  California,  where  it  is  said  he  has  relations. 
If  I  can  locate  him  here  I  shall  hope  for  something 
tangible  in  your  behalf.  He  will  do  anything,  I  think, 
rather  than  go  back  to  his  cell." 

The  dinner  bell  interrupted  the  conversation,  for 
which  Hall  was  thankful.  He  dismissed  his  caller,  and 
after  making  himself  more  presentable,  descended  to 
the  dining  room,  where  the  Feltons  were  already  seated 
at  his  table. 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

MR.   GARDNER  GOES  TOO  FAR. 

LEARNING  that  Mr.  Morse  had  gone  to  Brayton, 
"  Herbert  Brown,"  who  was  known  at  Whiteley  & 
Hall's  by  still  another  name — that  of  Mason  Harvey — 
returned  to  his  work  at  the  law  office.  He  thought  he 
had  best  be  there  as  much  as  he  dared,  lest  his  employ- 
ers should  think  it  necessary  to  engage  some  one  in  his 
place;  and  when  Mr.  Whiteley  sent  to  inquire  if  he 
could  not  come  in  during  his  absence,  even  if  he  did 
not  do  much  work,  he  replied  that  he  would  do  what  he 
could  and  at  least  keep  the  place  open.  The  situation 
was  one  he  coveted  much,  as  it  enabled  him  to  earn  a 
living  and  at  the  same  time  reside  near  Marian,  \vith 
whom  he  wanted  to  keep  in  close  touch.  Late  at  night, 
when  the  others  of  the  family  were  asleep,  he  could  tap 
on  her  window  and  be  admitted  for  a  conference,  with- 
out attracting  attention  in  the  darkened  street  from  the 
passers  that  were  very  few  and  far  between. 

Paul  learned  from  his  sister  the  fullest  particulars  of 
her  visit  to  Illinois,  but  as  she  did  not  know  that  her 
movements  had  been  watched  by  the  suspicious  officers 
of  the  law,  she  was  not  able  to  convey  any  warning  of 
this  fact  to  him.  He  was  principally  interested  in  the 
effort  she  had  made  to  induce  clemency  on  the  part  of 


192  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

Richard  Morse,  and  her  failure  to  secure  any  promise 
in  this  direction,  unless  preceded  by  a  surrender  of  the 
stolen  bonds,  which  he  still  claimed  to  believe  Paul  had 
taken. 

"If  only  we  could  find  who  did  steal  those  bonds," 
she  said  to  him,  one  night  when  he  was  on  a  late  visit 
to  her  house,  "  how  easy  our  course  would  be !  Have 
you  thought  of  everything  possible  in  that  direction? 
Are  you  sure  no  one  had  the  combination  of  the  safe 
but  you,  and  that  the  package  was  inside  on  the  very 
day  before  it  was  missed?  " 

"  All  I  can  say  is,"  Paul  replied,  "  that  I  used  a  com- 
bination that  I  invented  and  never  divulged  to  any 
person.  As  to  the  package,  I  don't  know  when  the 
false  one  was  substituted  for  the  true.  On  the  outside 
they  looked  very  much  alike.  I  saw  a  package  which 
seemed  to  me  the  same,  day  after  day,  whenever  I 
opened  the  safe;  and  when  Mr.  Morse  came  into  the 
room  with  a  lot  of  blank  papers  in  his  hand  and  said 
that  he  had  found  them  instead  of  the  securities,  I  was 
too  dumfounded  to  know  what  to  think.  He  was  pale 
and  trembling.  Together  we  took  every  scrap  out  of 
the  safe  and  examined  them  with  care.  "When  it  was 
clear  there  was  nothing  of  the  kind  inside,  we  looked 
at  each  other.  T  had  never  thought  of  him,  but  the 
su>nicion  came  into  my  mind,  I  think,  at  just  the  mo- 
ment  he  began  to  accuse  me.  '  You  know  where  those 
bond-  are ! '  he  cried,  savagely.  '  Give  them  up  at  once 
or  T  will  ?cml  for  the  police! ' 

"  Yoii  ccvld  have  knocked  me  down  with  a  feather, 
Mannie.  '  I  guess  you  can  tell  better  than  any  one  else 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  193 

where  they  are ! '  I  retorted,  as  soon  as  I  could  catch 
my  breath.  And  then  I  said  some  things  that  wouldn't 
sound  well  to  repeat,  being  overtaken  with  one  of  my 
old  fits  of  temper.  I  told  him  that  nobody  in  Strom- 
berg  thought  him  an  honest  man,  that  people  had  been 
hinting  for  months  that  he  would  find  some  way  to 
cheat  Mr.  Hall  out  of  his  inheritance.  I  know  it  wasn't 
nice  to  say  such  things,  dear,  but  when  a  fellow  is  called 
a  thief,  he's  not  responsible. 

"  He  said  nothing  more  then,  but  a  week  later  we 
had  it  again.  Infuriated  he  backed  against  the  door 
and  told  Willie  Hayward  to  run  for  an  officer.  Poor 
Willie  looked  at  me,  as  if  he  didn't  know  what  to  do, 
but  I  told  him  to  go ;  that  it  would  be  all  right.  When 
the  policeman  came  and  Mr.  Morse  said  he  wanted  me 
arrested  I  never  answered  a  word.  I  had  had  time, 
Mannie,  to  think  of  you — I  could  only  be  locked  up  a 
few  hours,  I  believed,  and  I  might  as  well  make  the 
best  of  it.  I  never  dreamed  that  I  would  be  taken  into 
court  and  arraigned  for  theft,  least  of  all  that  I  could  be 
convicted,  with  no  evidence  against  me,  and  I  didn't 
want  to  carry  things  too  far,  when  I  remembered  what 
happened  before  and  what  obligations  we  were  under 
to  him," 

The  sister  listened  with  anxious  eyes,  clasping  the 
hands  of  the  speaker  in  her  own. 

"  Poor,  poor  Paul !  "  she  said,  "  how  brave  and  true 
you  were;  and  I  believed  you  guilty!  Can  you  ever 
forgive  me?  You  wrote  me  not  to  come  to  you — that 
there  was  no  danger  of  your  conviction — and  I  thought 
as  you  did.  But,  my  brother,  there  is  one  thing  I  wish 


194  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

you  could  banish  from  your  mind,  hard  as  it  may  be.  I 
know  Mr.  Morse  so  well,  it  is  just  as  incredible  to  me 
that  he  could  have  done  this  act  as  that  I  could  have 
done  it  myself.  It  is  because  he  is  thoroughly  con- 
vinced he  is  right  that  my  tears  and  prayers  have  no 
effect  upon  him.  Since  he  came  to  Olluma  he  has 
called  here  on  two  evenings,  and  we  have  talked  the 
whole  matter  over  from  every  point  of  view.  He  has 
paid  a  sum  equal  to  the  dividends  the  bonds  used  to 
bring,  quarterly,  to  Mr.  Keith,  out  of  his  own  pocket. 
His  business  has  fallen  off  greatly  on  account  of  the 
feeling  against  him,  and  he  has  had  to  pinch  in  many 
ways  to  do  this,  but  he  insists  that  he  must  make  what 
restitution  he  can.  It  is  not  revenge  on  you  that  he 
seeks,  now,  nor  to  get  back  what  he  himself  has  lost, 
but  the  rehabilitation  of  his  honor  in  the  community. 
Oh,  Paul,  I  wish  you  could  believe  him  innocent!  " 

He  put  his  arm  around  her  waist  like  a  lover  and 
kissed  her  tenderly  on  the  cheek. 

"  You  don't  want  me  to  lie  to  you,  Mannie.  I  can't 
believe  it;  I  only  wish  I  could.  Either  he  stole  that 
property  or  I  did.  Will  nothing  suffice  him  but  to  pur- 
sue me  into  my  grave?  for  I  feel  that  this  continuous 
watching  for  men  who  hunt  escaped  criminals  will  be 
my  death.  If  he  has  no  mercy  for  me,  has  he  none  for 
you  and  poor  little  Elsie?  I'm  doing  all  I  can  to  be 
patient,  but  if  they  try  to  take  me  back  I  don't  know 
what  will  happen.  There  is  an  end  to  my  endurance 
somewhere,  and  they  may  find  it." 

The  brother's  lips  blanched  and  specks  of  blood  ap- 
peared in  the  pupils  of  his  dark  eyes.  At  the  same  in- 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  195 

stant  a  stealthy  noise  alarmed  both  him  and  Marian, 
and  they  looked  at  each  other  in  alarm.  Presently  the 
knob  of  the  door  that  led  into  the  hallway  was  softly 
turned,  but  the  key  had  been  used  in  the  lock  and  the 
intruder  could  not  enter. 

"  Are  you  there,  Marian  ?  "  asked  the  shaking  voice 
of  Mr.  Gardner. 

Motioning  Paul  to  'hide  behind  the  sofa,  which  he 
instantly  did,  the  girl  replied  in  the  affirmative. 

"Who  is  with  you?" 

"  I  am  alone,  father.    What  do  you  want?  " 

"  I  want  something  to  make  me  sleep.  I  thought  I 
heard  some  one  talking." 

She  went  at  once  to  unlock  the  door  and  to  assure  the 
intruder  that  he  was  mistaken.  She  had  been  reading, 
she  said,  and  perhaps  had  unconsciously  pronounced 
the  words  aloud.  If  he  would  come  back  up  stairs  she 
would  see  what  she  could  find  for  him. 

It  was  plain  even  to  the  muddled  perceptions  of  the 
father  that  something  had  occurred  to  unbalance  the 
nerves  of  the  young  woman ;  he  was  also  sure  that  her 
story  about  reading  aloud  was  a  prevarication.  He 
took  her  by  the  arm  so  roughly  that,  if  she  had  not  had 
Paul's  safety  at  stake,  and  known  that  the  slightest  out- 
cry would  have  brought  him  to  her  side,  she  must  have 
uttered  a  scream. 

"  Yer  lyin' !  Who  was  a-talkin'  here  with  yer  an'  the 
door  locked  ?  " 

"I  didn't  want  to  tell  you,  father,  for  I  know  you 
won't  approve  of  it,  but  I  had  to  see  him  somewhere 


196  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION, 

and  I  let  him  in  for  a  little  while.  He's  gone  now, 
though,  and  I  won't  have  him  come  again." 

He  leered  at  her  with  heavy  eyes. 

"  Morse,  eh  ?    Well,  did  he  leave  yer  any  money  ?  " 

"  Father- — don't !  Let  me  go  and  find  your  medicine. 
I  think  there  is  some  whiskey  in  a  bottle  in  my  room, 
You  must  go  back  to  sleep.  You  don't  look  well.  Come, 
dear." 

"  Find  the  whiskey  an'  I'll  come.  It's  some  yer  stole 
out  o'  my  room,  ain't  it?  A  nice  lot  o'  children  I've 
brung  up.  Thieves,  the  whole  of  'em.  An'  yer  still 
refusin'  to  take  his  money,  are  yer?  The  more  fool 
you.  Ef  yer  don't  want  it  yer  self,  yer  might  remember 
others  what's  sick  an'  gittin'  old  an'  sufT'rin  fer  the 
comforts  o'  life.  He's  at  the  hotel,  though,  an'  I'm 
goin'  to  see  him  in  the  mornin'  an'  ask  him  to  do  some- 
thin'  fer  me," 

Marian  turned  on  her  father  a  look  that  he  had  never 
seen  in  her  face  before.  Jt  quelled  him  and  he  shrank 
like  a  whipped  cur  before  her. 

"  If  you  dare !  "  she  said,  with  terrible  meaning. 
"  Father,  I've  borne  a  great  deal  from  you,  but — speak 
one  word  of  that  kind  to  Mr.  Morse  and— 

Her  voice  choked.  She  could  not  go  on.  A  flood  of 
tears  stopped  her  utterance.  Mumbling  that  there  was 
nothing  to  blubber  about  and  that  she'd  better  get  the 
whiskey,  Gardner  shambled  from  the  room.  She  fol- 
lowed him  up  the  stairs,  found  the  liquor,  which  she 
had  obtained  in  the  way  he  suggested,  and  gave  it  to 
him.  Then,  after  waiting  long  enough  to  feel  sure  he 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 

was  in  a  drunken  sleep,  she  went  back  to  th«  parlor  and 

rejoined  her  brother. 

It  was  late,  and  merely  repeating  that  he  must  not 
think  of  coming  to  the  house  again,  and  that  she  would 
send  Jakey  every  day  or  two  to  communicate  with  him, 
Marian  parted  with  Paul,  and  saw  him  disappear  into 
the  darkness. 

It  was  a  heavy  burden  Marian  Gardner  was  carry- 
ing. With  no  mother  to  advise  her,  she  had  this  awful 
incubus  of  a  remaining  parent,  lost  to  all  sense  of  pa- 
ternal duty  or  affection;  a  brother,  maligned,  perse- 
cuted, punished  for  a  sin  he  had  never  committed, 
dearer  than  ever  through  it  all ;  and  now  there  was 
something  else  to  cause  her  anxiety,  the  suffering 
through  which  her  younger  sister  was  passing. 

"  I  didn't  know  you  really  loved  him  so,  Elsie,"  she 
said,  the  next  morning,  when  she  took  the  light  break- 
fast to  the  bedside  and  saw  the  wl  'te  face  turn  away 
from  the  food.  "  He  has  been  a  friend  to  us  all,  and  I 
supposed  you  liked  him  the  same  as  I  do,  but  I  never 
thought  of  this." 

"  I  didn't  know  it,  either,  Mannie.  When  that  rich 
young  lady  began  to  talk  of  his  going  back  to  the  town 
where  she  lives — when  she  showed  me  the  ring  he  gave 
her — it  all  came  over  me  like  a  weight  that  crushed. 
But  I'm  going  to  get  over  it,  sister,  and  he  must  never 
know  anything  about  it.  Isn't  there  somewhere  I  can 
go  before  he  returns,  so  I  wron't  have  to  see  him  till  I'm 
stronger?  I  wouldn't  for  the  world  have  him  sus- 
pect." 

"  Sweet  little  sister !    How  I  love  you !  " 


198  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

A  shuffling  step  outside  the  door  put  an  end  to  the 
conversation  for  the  time,  and  Marian  went  about  her 
duties  elsewhere,  thinking  of  the  suggestion  Elsie  had 
made,  about  going  out  of  town  for  a  little  time.  That 
would  undoubtedly  be  the  best  thing,  if  she  could  ar- 
range it.  After  long  thought  she  turned  to  the  only 
one  outside  the  family  on  whom  she  could  rely  and 
wrote  about  the  matter  to  Mr.  Sewall : 

My  Dear  Friend : — Do  you  know  of  any  quiet  familj 
near  Brayton  where  Elsie  could  go  to  board,  at  a  rea- 
sonable rate,  for  a  few  weeks  ?  I  have  thought  of  that 
town  because  you  would  be  there  to  see  her  frequently, 
and  that  would  keep  her  from  being  lonely.  I  cannot 
put  the  reasons  for  this  step  on  paper,  but  if  you 
should  find  the  sort  of  home  I  mean,  perhaps  you 
would  drive  up  here  and  talk  it  over  with  me. 

I  know  the  last  time  we  met  there  was  a  slight  dif- 
ference between  us,  but  I  hope  you  have  forgotten 
that.  At  any  rate,  my  sister  is  your  legal  ward  and  I 
think  you  have  a  duty  to  perform  in  her  case. 

MARIAN. 

Mr.  Sewall,  who  had  worried  over  the  incident  to 
which  Marian  alluded,  was  much  relieved  to  receive 
this  letter,  which  showed  that  she  held  no  feeling 
against  him  for  his  interference  in  her  affairs.  He 
wondered  what  she  could  mean,  however,  in  her  allu- 
sion to  Elsie,  and  lost  no  time  in  seeing  to  the  errand 
with  which  she  had  charged  him.  A  family  suited  in 
all  respect  occurred  to  him  at  once  and  within  an  hour 
he  had  persuaded  them  to  receive  his  young  friend  as 
a  guest.  After  lunch  he  sent  to  the  hotel  stable  for  a 
team,  intending  to  set  out  for  Olluma  immediately. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

"  There's  a  gentleman  here  who'd  like  to  ride  to  town 
with  you,  if  you've  no  objection,"  said  the  landlord, 
coming  down  the  steps  to  meet  him. 

"  Tell  him  I  shall  be  delighted,"  was  the  reply. 

But  a  minute  later  the  minister  began  to  doubt  this ; 
for  the  passenger  he  had  agreed  to  carry  was  none 
other  than  Richard  Morse  of  Stromberg. 


20O  STRANGER  THAN1  FICTION. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


MR.  OSCAR  FELTON  prided  himself  on  his  reputation 
as  a  "  business  man."  By  that  I  mean  that  he  had  a 
high  opinion  of  himself  as  one  who  generally  accom- 
plished whatever  he  set  out  to  do,  More  than  once  he 
had  wrenched  success  from  the  very  jaws  of  failure,  in 
matters  financial.  He  was  not  over  scrupulous  in  his 
methods,  believing  that  business  concerns  justified  al- 
most anything  in  the  race  for  supremacy.  When  he 
started  out  to  secure  his  daughter  the  husband  he  had 
once  rejected  he  carried  into  the  scheme  the  methods 
of  his  counting  room.  He  loved  his  child,  and  he  had 
become  convinced  that  her  happiness — perhaps  her  life 
itself — depended  on  her  marriage  with  Victor  Hall, 

In  the  first  talks  that  he  had  with  the  young  attorney 
at  Erayton  he  proceeded  with  care.  In  the  first  place 
he  expected  to  admit  the  injustice  he  had  done  him  the 
night  they  met  on  the  walk  in  front  of  the  rich  man's 
Stromberg  residence.  He  was  willing  to  abase  himself 
as  much  as  might  be  necessary  to  accomplish  his  ends, 
He  had  also  a  full  understanding  with  his  daughter  as 
to  the  role  she  was  to  play.  They  were  both  to  use  their 
utmost  efforts  to  bring  back  the  old  status  quo,  and 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  201 

anything  or  anybody  that  stood  in  the  way  was  to  be 
Sacrificed  without  mercy. 

"  I  trust  you  won't  think  me  a  flatterer  if  I  say  that 
your  conduct  in  that  unfortunate  affair  merits  my 
highest  commendation,"  he  said  to  Victor,  after  Ger- 
trude had  retired  to  her  room  on  the  evening  of  their 
arrival  at  Brayton.  They  had  dined  together,  in  com- 
pany with  Mr.  Whiteley  and  all  reference  to  the  past 
had  been  carefully  avoided  at  the  table.  "  I  did  what  at 
the  time  I  thought  right,  but  in  less  than  a  week  I  saw 
my  error.  You  had  then  left  town  and  my  repentance 
came  too  late.  I  learned  by  the  wasting  cheek  of  my 
dear  girl,  by  her  silent  yet  reproachful  attitude  toward 
me,  how  wrong  it  was  for  any  consideration  of  a 
worldly  nature  to  come  between  young  and  loving 
hearts.  Could  I  have  reached  you,  in  person  or  by  let- 
ter, I  would  have  begged  your  pardon  and  invited  you 
to  make  yourself  wholly  at  home  in  my  house.  I  did 
my  best  to  locate  you,  but  no  one  seemed  to  know  where 
you  had  gone.  It  was  a  terrible  experience,  Mr.  Hall. 
When  I  accidentally  discovered  your  whereabouts, 
through  the  loan  I  made  your  partner,  I  resolved  to 
lose  no  time  in  letting  you  know  how  I  regretted  my 
error  and  how  anxious  I  was  that  its  effects  might  be 
obliterated." 

Mr.  Hall  listened  with  wonder  to  this  statement.  It 
was  quite  different  from  anything  he  would  have  ex- 
pected from  the  haughty  millionaire.  He  could  not 
help  being  affected  by  the  paternal  interest  that 
prompted  it,  and  in  the  first  flush  of  his  surprise  he 
assured  Mr.  Felton  that  he  appreciated  his  position  per- 


2O2  STRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 

fectly  and  begged  he  would  not  think  it  necessary  to 
apologize  further. 

"  I  left  Stromberg,  as  you  can  imagine,"  said  he, 
"  under  a  severe  pressure  of  mental  distress.  I  had  a 
very  warm  feeling  toward  your  daughter  and  had  come 
to  realize,  with  deep  sorrow,  that  in  my  financial  con- 
dition I  could  not  hope  to  win  your  consent  to  our 
union.  Sometimes  I  think  my  brain  was  affected  by 
my  disappointments.  Then,  when  I  had  hardly  time  to 
recover  a  little  from  that,  I  learned  that  my  small  for- 
tune had  gone  with  the  rest.  I  must  admit  that  I  had 
had  some  doubts  of  the  perfect  probity  of  the  trustee — 
doubts  shared  I  think  by  many  others  who  knew  him; 
but  when  the  blow  came,  in  addition  to  the  one  I  re- 
ceived from  you,  I  saw  the  necessity  of  putting  the  past 
out  of  my  mind  and  beginning  an  entirely  new  life. 
The  hard  work  this  compelled  has  been  in  a  measure 
my  salvation,  for  it  has  kept  me  too  busy  to  allow  much 
time  for  repining.  As  you  can  see,  I  am  now,  appar- 
ently, on  the  road  to  a  competence,  and  whether  the 
whole  property  is  ever  found  or  not  I  shall  achieve  in 
time  a  respectable  financial  position." 

To  this  Mr.  Felton  listened  with  great  politeness. 
He  assured  the  speaker  that  no  one  of  his  friends  could 
rejoice  more  at  his  altered  prospects  than  he,  but  he 
added  that  it  made  not  the  slightest  difference  in  his 
personal  sentiments  toward  him.  A  high  character  and 
honorable  aspirations  were  the  best  recommendations 
for  a  young  man;  if  he  had  cherished  other  ideas  he 
had  long  since  abandoned  them.  The  conversation, 
which  lasted  for  several  hours,  closed  with  the  hope 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION.  2O3 

expressed  by  Mr.  Felton  that  all  by-gones  would  be 
forgotten,  and  that  Mr.  Hall  would  resume  his  old  re- 
lations with  his  family. 

"  I  have  no  higher  wish  than  to  see  you  young  people 
make  each  other  happy,"  he  said,  with  emotion.  "  As 
far  as  wealth  is  concerned,  I  have  enough  for  both, 
more  than  enough,  in  fact.  I  am  growing  old  and  can- 
not long  be  here  to  cherish  and  advise  my  child.  My 
dearest  wish  is  to  see  her  happiness  secured,  and  I 
know  it  lies  in  only  one  direction." 

It  did  not  impress  Mr.  Hall  as  strongly  as  it  may  the 
reader  that  Mr.  Felton  was  practically  "  throwing  his 
daughter  at  the  head  "  of  the  listener.  He  took  the 
statements  of  the  gentleman  for  what  they  seemed — a 
plain  acknowledgment  of  errors  long  since  regretted 
and  repented.  He  was  affected  by  the  parental  affection 
shown.  More  than  this,  the  touch  of  a  slender  hand 
still  vibrated  in  his  youthful  nerves.  He  had  not  out- 
grown the  sentiments  of  four  years  ago,  for  the  pretty 
and  now  fragile  daughter  of  the  Stromberg  millionaire. 

The  two  men  parted  at  bedtime  with  mutual  expres- 
sions of  good  will,  and  Mr.  Felton,  according  to  his 
promise,  went  straight  to  Gertrude's  room  to  tell  her 
with  elation  that  everything  appeared  to  be  progressing 
finely.  The  girl  listened  anxiously  to  every  word  and 
retired  to  bed  with  rose  colored  visions  of  a  happy  fu- 
ture. 

Mr.  Whiteley,  influenced  by  a  desire  to  please  a  great 
capitalist,  became  a  willing  assistant  to  Mr.  Felton  in 
everything  that  was  asked  of  him.  His  task  it  was  to 
eradicate  any  idea  that  might  have  found  lodgment  in 


2O4  STRANGER  THAIf  FICTION. 

Mr.  Hall's  mind  of  an  alliance  with  the  little  girl  at  the 
Gardners.  He  was  a  lawyer  of  considerable  astuteness, 
and  did  not  need  instruction  as  to  the  best  way  of  in- 
fluencing a  jury.  He  went  about  the  work  of  under- 
mining the  Gardner  family  in  his  partner's  estimation 
as  deliberately  as  if  it  was  an  honorable  act.  He  had 
Mr.  Fel ton's  theory  that  success  justified  any  method, 
and  he  could  not  see  how  a  marriage  with  a  very  rich 
man's  daughter  could  be  other  than  advantageous,  both 
to  Mr.  Hall  and  to  the  firm  of  which  he  was  the  junior 
member. 

At  the  mine,  the  next  day,  when  alone  with  Victor, 
he  began,  in  a  roundabout  fashion,  to  feel  his  way. 

"  I  think  the  Gardners  have  never  regretted  selling 
this  old  ranch,"  he  said.  "  It's  a  pity  the  father  is  in 
such  a  condition — unable  to  do  anything  for  his  family 
through  constant  use  of  stimulants.  He  had  one  of  the 
finest  wives  in  the  world,  I've  heard  people  say." 

"  She  was  a  lovely  character,"  said  Hall,  musingly. 
"  A  great  loss  to  her  girls,  I  can  assure  you." 

"  They've  had  more  than  their  share  of  trouble," 
pursued  the  wily  advocate.  "  You  know  about  the 
brother,  of  course,  Paul,  I  think  was  his  name.  When 
less  than  16  he  was  sentenced  to  a  State  institution  for 
stabbing  a  man  with  a  knife,  and  no  one  knows  what 
became  of  him  afterwards.  Somehow  these  things  run 
in  families,  like  a  taint  in  the  blood." 

He  then  went  on  to  talk  about  the  mine  and  for  some 
minutes  made  no  reference  to  the  subject  which  had 
interested  Mr.  Hall  greatly.  He  wondered  how  White- 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  305 

ley  had  learned  so  fflucli  (3fl  a  matter  of  which  lie  had 
only  the  obscure  hints  of  little  Jacob. 

"  Speaking  of  the  Gardners,"  he  said,  when  a  chance 
came  to  reintroduce  the  subject,  "  how  different  the 
young  ladies  are  from  their  father.  Pedigree  doesn't 
count  for  much  with  the  human  race,  or  else  girls  take 
their  characteristics  entirely  from  the  mother's  side." 

"  Y-e-s,"  was  the  doubtful  response.  "  And  yet  you 
know,  I  suppose,  that  there  is  a  strange  mystery  con- 
nected with  the  elder  one.  I  don't  like  to  talk  about 
such  things  on  mere  rumor,  but  it  is  said  she  disap- 
peared for  several  years  and  conceals  her  whereabouts 
during  that  time  when  questioned  on  the  matter.  There 
was  a  rumor  that  an  Eastern  man  was  here  paying  her 
attention  and  that  when  her  people  objected  to  him 
they  went  off  about  the  same  time,  but  I  never  take 
stock  in  such  insinuations  without  more  proof.  The 
worst  thing  about  it  is  the  effect  it's  sure  to  have  on 
her  sister's  prospects.  She's  a  girl  of  whom  everybody 
speaks  in  the  highest  terms,  and  the  history  of  her  fam- 
ily will  be  a  dreadful  stumbling  block  in  her  way,  one 
of  these  days,  when  she  gets  old  enough  to  marry.  Yes, 
Bill,  I'll  be  there  in  a  minute." 

There  is  a  story  of  a  lawyer  who  once  addressed  a 
jury  somewhat  in  this  fashion:  ''  I  will  not  allude, 
gentlemen,  to  the  fact  that  the  defendant  murdered 
his  aged  father  in  cold  blood  and  brought  the  hairs  of 
his  mother  in  sorrow  to  the  grave;  the  learned  judge 
would  not  allow  me  to  touch  on  those  painful  incidents 
in  his  career.  I  will  confine  myself  entirely  to  the  evi- 
dence you  have  heard  about  the  watermelon." 


2O6  STRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 

Had  Whiteley  used  a  different  tone,  acting  as  if  he 
wished  to  cast  aspersions  upon  the  elder  Miss  Gardner, 
Victor  Hall  would  certainly  have  risen  to  her  defence 
from  innate  chivalry  and  friendship.  As  it  was,  the 
only  effect  was  the  one  intended,  to  connect  the  dis- 
agreeable history  of  the  other  members  with  poor  little 
Elsie.  He  liked  the  child  immensely,  though  no  definite 
idea  of  marriage  had  ever  entered  his  mind  in  connec- 
tion with  her.  He  found  himself  entertaining  the  view 
suggested,  and  he  pitied  the  girl  from  the  bottom  of  his 
heart.  His  greatest  hope  was  that  these  things  were 
not  known  to  her  in  their  full  enormity  and  that  she 
might  be  kept  from  ever  hearing  of  them. 

At  the  same  time  he  mused  much  over  his  altered  re- 
lations with  the  Feltons  and  could  not  quite  make  up 
his  mind  what  he  ought  to  do — what  he  wanted  to  do — 
in  the  new  'circumstances.  Having  driven  matrimony 
out  of  his  mind  with  a  violent  effort,  four  years  ago,  the 
thought  of  becoming  a  benedict,  even  with  his  old 
sweetheart  for  a  partner  in  'Connubial  bliss,  was  some- 
thing that  bred  in  his  mind  a  certain  uneasiness.  He 
felt,  without  exactly  realizing  it,  that  he  was  being 
pushed  toward  a  decision,  and  resented  in  a  vague  way 
the  attitude  in  which  he  was  placed.  And  he  was  a 
good  deal  troubled  also  over  the  revelations  of  Mr. 
Morse.  It  seemed  as  if  the  case  of  Herbert  Brown,  the 
convicted  clerk,  ought  to  command  his  attention  before 
anything  else. 

When  he  met  Gertrude  he  tried  to  assume  toward 
her  an  air  of  friendship,  without  committing  himself 
further.  This  was  not  so  easy  as  he  had  imagined  it 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  2O7 

inight  be.  They  had  been  very  fond  of  each  other  in 
the  old  days  and  she  evidently  thought  their  renewed 
acquaintance  had  fully  established  their  former  terms. 
Whenever  they  were  alone  together — which  seemed  to 
be  very  often — her  conversation  was  based  on  the  old 
lines.  She  extended  her  hand  to  him,  timidly  and  yet 
confidently,  and  held  his  own  with  a  clasp  that  spoke 
volumes  of  the  state  of  her  palpitating  heart. 

She  was  so  utterly  happy  in  his  society  that  he  could 
not  enter  seriously  on  a  discussion  of  the  situation.  She 
talked  much  of  papa's  sorrow  at  what  he  had  done,  and 
mentioned  incidentally  two  or  three  offers  of  marriage 
she  had  rejected  from  men  of  high  position  and  large 
wealth,  one  of  them  an  Austrian  baron  of  old  family. 
He  began  to  feel  that  her  love  had  meant  more  than  his, 
even  when  he  thought  the  loss  of  his  darling  would 
break  his  heart. 

But  he  went  on,  for  the  week  he  remained  at  the 
Brayton  House,  meeting  her  often,  talking  of  the  old 
times,  taking  an  occasional  drive  with  her,  and  letting 
her  assume  that  everything  was  all  right  between  them, 
not  knowing  just  what  his  intentions  were  or  what  he 
ought  to  say.  It  is  much  easier  to  float  with  the  tide 
than  to  propel  one's  boat  against  it.  When  he  felt  that 
he  could  no  longer  remain  away  from  his  office  without 
doing  injustice  to  important  business  there — and  when 
he  supposed  that  Richard  Morse  intended  to  spend  a 
while  longer  at  Brayton,  or  return  East  (having  ap- 
parently no  special  reason  for  staying  in  California),  he 
bade  a  good-by  to  the  Feltons  with  as  little  ceremony 
as  was  consistent  with  politeness.  He  kissed  Gertrude 
in  her  father's  presence,  when  she  offered  him  her  lips 


2O8  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.; 

as  if  it  were  a  matter  of  course,  and  said  in  the  usual 
way  that  he  would  be  glad  to  see  them  whenever  they; 
came  back  to  Olluma. 

"  I  hope  Harvey  won't  get  sick  again,"  said  Whiteley 
to  him,  standing  at  the  carriage  wheel.  "  He's  a  bright 
young  fellow  and  I  don't  want  to  have  to  hunt  up  an- 
other clerk.  I  think  you'd  best  give  him  the  combina- 
tion to  the  safe,  as  we're  both  liable  to  be  off  at  the  same 
time.  If  I'm  any  judge  of  human  nature  he's  all 
right." 

"  I  don't  believe  in  throwing  temptation  in  the  way 
of  a  ten  dollar  a  week  clerk,"  replied  Hall.  "  We  might 
get  another  safe  and  put  such  things  in  it  as  he  would 
need  to  get  at,  but  where  the  cash  is  I'd  rather  keep  the 
combination  myself." 

"  All  right,"  said  Whiteley.  "  Order  one,  will  you? 
Perhaps  that's  the  oest  way.  We  have  five  or  ten  thou- 
sand dollars  some  nights  to  leave  in  the  office.  Yes,  I 
guess  that's  safest." 

Mr.  Hall  drove  a  pretty  good  team,  which  was  one  of 
the  extravagancies  he  had  of  late  indulged  in,  and  after 
he  had  gone  ten  miles  or  so  he  saw  that  he  was  over- 
taking another  pair  of  horses  going  in  the  same  direc- 
tion. Coming  closer,  gradually,  he  recognized,  first 
Mr.  Sewall,  and  then  his  travelling  companion.  He 
would  have  been  glad  to  stop  and  talk  with  the  minis- 
ter, but  he  did  not  like  to  say  much  to  Morse,  so  he 
touched  his  animals  with  a  whip  and  passed  them  rap- 
idly. 

"  I've  got  an  important  engagement  at  Olluma,"  he 
explained,  as  he  waved  his  hand  to  Mr.  Sewall  and  left 
them  in  the  dust  from  his  flying  wheels. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION..  20Q 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

"  I  REFUSE  TO  BE  DRIVEN  I  " 

THE  present  technical  head  of  the  Gardner  family 

smoked  his  black  pipe  in  his  usual  discontent,  on  the 
back  piazza  of  his  town  residence.  Not  only  was  he 
recovering  slowly  from  a  prolonged  "  booze"  but,  what 
was  harder  to  bear,  the  prospect  of  starting  on  another 
was  not  as  good  as  he  could  have  desired.  With  Mr. 
Hall  out  of  town  there  was  no  one  to  apply  to  for  the 
necessary  funds.  Marian,  who  held  the  slender  purse- 
strings  of  the  family,  had  been  less  liberal  to  him  than 
ever  since  the  night  when  he  said  those  insulting  things 
in  the  hearing  of  her  hidden  brother.  The  saloon- 
keepers of  the  village  had  adopted  a  cash  basis,  so  far 
as  he  was  concerned,  and  all  his  pleadings  for  "  jest  one 
pint,"  which  he  solemnly  promised  to  pay  for  at  an 
early  date,  failed  to  move  their  hard  hearts.  He  could 
think  of  nothing  in  the  way  of  jewelry  which  he  could 
pawn,  a  careful  lock  being  kept  on  the  few  trinkets  that 
belonged  to  his  daughters  and  his  own  timepiece  and 
chain  having  been  sacrificed  at  a  time  long  distant. 

He  was  very  thirsty.  The  hard-heartedness  of  this 
world  struck  him  as  it  had  often  done  before  with  a 
sickening  chill.  Had  the  Evil  One  been  around  (as  he 
used  to  be)  with  a  manuscript  deed  of  his  soul  ready 


210  STRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 

to  exchange  for  a  good  drink  of  whiskey,  Gardner 
would  not  have  hesitated  to  close  the  bargain  on  the 
spot.  It  may  perhaps  be  proper  to  add  in  this  connec- 
tion  that,  unless  souls  were  at  a  premium  in  Sheol  that 
day,  His  Satanic  Majesty  would  have  lost  heavily  by 
giving  even  this  price  for  such  a  diminutive  one  as  Mr. 
Gardner  had  to  offer. 

"  Oh,  for  one  little  drink!  "  he  moaned.  "  I  wonder 
if  Mr.  Hall  is  coming  back  this  week." 

The  easiest  way  to  get  information  on  that  subject 
was  to  go  over  to  Whiteley  &  Hall's  law  offices  and 
inquire.  Poising  himself  unsteadily  on  his  feet,  Gard- 
ner laid  down  his  pipe  and  began  the  painful  task.  His 
head  throbbed,  his  throat  burned,  his  legs  wobbled. 
Several  times  on  the  way  he  sat  down  to  rest  on  some 
convenient  curb,  where  he  excited  the  pity  of  some, 
the  derision  of  others  and  the  disgust  of  all  who  saw 
him.  After  a  long  time,  however,  he  managed  to 
reach  his  destination  and  shambled  slowly  up  the  stairs. 
There  was  no  one  in  the  front  office,  but  a  door  that 
led  to  one  of  those  in  the  rear  was  partly  open  and  in 
response  to  a  light  cough  a  young  man  came  to  the  en- 
trance. 

"  Has  Mis'r  Hall  got  back  f'm  Brayt'n  (hie)?"  said 
Gardner. 

"  No,  sir,"  replied  the  young  man,  turning  his  face 
into  the  shadow. 

"  Do  y'know  when  he's  (hie)  comin'?" 

"  Probably  next  week." 

The  inquirer  staggered  toward  his  informant  and 
pushed  the  door  aside.  There  was  no  use  in  trying  to 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  211 

hide  further,  and  Paul  (for  it  was  he)  decided  that  he 
must  face  it  out.  The  full  beard  he  had  grown  had  suf- 
ficed to  disguise  him  from  others,  perhaps  it  would 
from  this  man. 

"  tVashername?  "  asked  Gardner,  staring  hard  at  his 
son. 

"  Mason  Harvey,  sir." 

"  Ever  see  me  afore?  " 

"  No,  sir.' 

"  Well,  my  name's  Gardner — 'Rius  Gardner.  Mr. 
Hall's  got  charge  of  some  prop'ty  (hie)  of  mine  an' 
whenever  I  want  any  money  I  git  it.  Can't  yer  Vance 
me  four  bits  till  he  comes?  'S  all  right,  young  feller, 
give  yer  m'word." 

A  fifty  cent  piece  was  instantly  put  into  the  out- 
stretched palm  and  with  expressions  of  broken  thanks 
Gardner  lost  no  time  in  leaving  the  place,  to  Paul's  re- 
lief. He  was  afraid  it  was  wrong  to  pander  to  his 
father's  taste  for  liquor,  which  he  knew  was  his  object 
in  asking  the  loan,  but  greater  interests  were  at  stake. 
The  way  in  which  the  applicant  had  stared  at  his  face 
was  little  less  than  alarming.  On  thinking  of  it  at 
leisure,  however,  Paul  ascribed  the  intensity  of  the  look 
to  his  father's  condition  and  congratulated  himself  once 
more  on  escaping  recognition. 

Just  before  closing  that  evening,  without  having  sent 
any  warning  of  his  intention  to  return,  Mr.  Hall  sprang 
briskly  up  the  steps  of  his  office.  The  clerk  put  down 
his  hat,  which  he  had  on,  and  for  more  than  an  hour 
devoted  himself  to  matters  of  business.  There  was 
much  to  say,  a  great  deal  of  mail  to  open,  and  several 


'212  feTRAN'GER  THAtt  FICTIOK 

letters  to  write  in  answer  to  dictation.  When  this  was 
finished  it  was  past  seven  o'clock. 

"  I'm  going  to  tell  Whiteley  I  think  we  should  raise 
your  salary  a  little,"  said  Mr.  Hall,  with  a  gratified  air, 
as  he  prepared  to  leave.  "  If  he  takes  my  advice  you 
will  begin  to  draw  $15  a  week,  after  this  month." 

"  You  are  very  kind,  sir." 

"And — by  the  way — I  mustn't  forget  to  write  to 
Mosler  to-morrow  for  a  new  safe.  We  need  another 
one,  as  this  is  getting  overcrowded.  Do  you  know 
anything  about  opening  a  safe  with  a  combination?  " 

With  one  gasp  of  surprise  at  the  question,  coming 
from  him,  Paul  managed  to  answer  that  he  thought  he 
could  easily  learn. 

"  Yes,  it  won't  take  you  an  hour.  I'm  going  to  give 
you  one  safe  to  have  the  combination  of  yourself,  while 
I  keep  the  other.  In  case  you  took  a  notion  (ha!  ha!) 
to  run  off,  we  want  something  left  to-  continue  business 
with.  Well,  good-night,  Harvey." 

At  the  door,  however,  a  man  was  about  to  enter;  did 
enter,  in  fact,  as  it  was  opened.  It  was  Richard  Morse. 
Not  knowing  how  to  avoid  him,  except  by  a  direct  dis- 
courtesy, Mr.  Hall  stepped  back;  and  the  clerk,  pale 
from  his  construction  of  the  latest  words  of  his  em- 
ployer, met  Morse  face  to  face  as  he  walked  out. 

"  I  just  called  to  see  if  any  letters  had  possibly  got 
sent  to  me  in  your  care,"  said  Mr.  Morse,  deferentially. 
"  None?  Thank  you.  Who  was  the  young  man  I  met 
— your  clerk,  I  presume?  Yes.  Thank  you  again. 
You  are  very  kind.  I  would  like  a  few  words  with 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  213 

you,  but  I  fear  this  is  an  inopportune  time.  Yon  have 
not  had  dinner,  have  you?  " 

"  I  have  not,  but  if  I  had,  Mr.  Morse,  I  don't  see 
what  reason  there  could  be  for  any  more  interviews 
between  us." 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  annoy  you.  I  can  wait  till  you 
have  leisure." 

Mr.  Hall  chafed  at  the  very  presence  of  the  man. 

"  If  you  must  say  anything  to  me — say  it.  And,  as 
the  proclamations  say,  '  forever  after  hold  your 
peace.' ': 

Morse,  who  was  always  sallow,  had  no  color  at  all 
in  his  face  now.  He  made  a  movement  as  if  to  take  a 
chair  and  then,  seeing  that  no  very  cordial  look  en- 
couraged him,  braced  up  again. 

"  I  only  wished  to  tell  you,"  he  said,  uneasily,  "  that 
I  have  strong  hopes  of  getting  possession  soon  of  your 
property." 

"  In  other  words  you  think  you  have  carried  out  the 
farce  of  pretending  it  was  stolen  as  long  as  you  care 
to?" 

The  man  winced  palpably  under  the  sarcasm. 

''  You  are  cruelly  unjust,"  he  said,  swallowing  some- 
*hing  that  stuck  in  his  throat.  "  My  business  honor  is 
at  stake.  I  shall  never  rest  until  it  is  cleared  up  so  that 
even  you  will  admit  that  you  have  done  me  a  grievous 
wrong.  Cannot  you  dismiss  your  bitterness,  and  listen 
for  a  few  minutes  to  a  very  serious  statement  I  think 
you  ought  to  hear?  " 

With  a  sigh  of  impatience  Victor  took  a  seat  and 
made  a  slight  morion  to  his  companion  to  take  another. 


214  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

"  Just  remember  that  I've  had  nothing  to  eat  since 
noon,"  said  he. 

"  I  am  willing  ito  come  to-morrow,"  said  Morse,  half 
rising  from  the  seat  he  had  barely  taken. 

"  For  God's  sake!  finish  your  errand.  If  you've  got 
anything  to  say  to  me,  begin." 

"  It  is  this,  then,  Mr.  Hall,  and  I  pray  you  have  pa- 
tience: Do  you  know  who  the  clerk  was  who  took 
(who  was  convicted  of  taking,  if  you  prefer  that)  your 
securities  that  disappeared  from  my  office?  " 

"No,  I  don't  and  I  -don't  care!  All  I  ever  heard 
about  him  was  what  you  told  me  yourself." 

"  Well,  I  think  you  ought  to  know.  He  called  'him- 
self Herbert  Brown,  but  that  was  a  name  assumed 
when  he  left  a  reform  school  several  years  before, 
where  he  had  been  confined  for  an  assault  with  a  dan- 
gerous weapon.  His  real  name  was  (don't  blame  me, 
sir!)  Paul  Gardner,  son  of  Darius  Gardner  of  this 
town." 

The  listener  did  not  care  to  drive  his  informant  from 
the  office  now.  He  was  quite  ready  to  hear  all  he  had 
to  say. 

"  There  is  a  mystery  here,"  he  cried,  much  excited, 
"  which  I  must  ask  you  to  explain.  How  could  you 
employ  a  clerk  that  you  knew  had  already  done  time 
for  a  criminal  offence?  and  not  only  employ  him,  but 
make  him  sole  custodian  of  the  combination  of  a  safe 
in  which  you  kept  your  clients'  valuables?  " 

"  I  believed  he  had  fully  reformed  and  I  wanted  to 
give  him  an  opportunity  to  redeem  fcwnself." 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  21$ 

"  You  mean  that  you  wanted  some  one  with  a  pre- 
viously bad  reputation  to  lay  your  own  rascality  on! " 

Tears — actual  tears — came  down  the  pale  cheeks  of 
the  other  man. 

"  I  can  say  no  more  to  you,"  he  stammered,  brokenly. 
"  You  give  me  no  credit  for  any  honorable  sentiment." 

He  rose  and  went  with  tottering-  steps  toward  the 
door  and  the  lawyer's  voice  followed  him :  "  Don't  I 
credit  you  with  as  much  honesty  as  other  people  do?  " 

"  That's  the  worst  of  it,"  he  said,  turning.  "  You're 
all  bound  to  drive  me  to  the  wall.  Well,  I  refuse  to  be 
driven!"  He  raised  his  head  with  an  air  that  was 
slightly  majestic.  "  I  will  prove  my  innocence — I 
never  had  any  doubt  I  should  some  day  do  that — but 
I  will  try  no  more  to  save  others  who  stand  before  the 
car  of  justice.  What  you  have  said  to-night  alters  all 
my  plans.  Hereafter  I  shall  think  of  myself  alone — of 
my  ruined  reputation,  my  crushed  hopes,  my  destroyed 
business  prospects!  The  world  has  been  cruel  and 
heartless  to  me — I  will  be  heartless  and  cruel  to  the 
world!  I  will  drag  Paul  Gardner  back  to  his  prison 
and  force  from  him  the  hiding  place  of  his  plunder,  and 
woe  to  those  in  my  way!  " 

Mr.  Hall  heard  this  outburst  with  all  imaginable  sur- 
prise and  when  the  office  door  crashed  loudly  behind 
the  speaker,  he  got  up  and  paced  the  floor  in  great 
uneasiness.  There  had  been  too  much  realism  in  the 
action  of  his  caller  to  doubt  that  he  meant  to  do  his 
worst  against  the  absconding  clerk.  And  he  was  Elsie 
Gardner's  brother!  Lord,  Lord!  Was  there  anything 
in  all  the  range  of  fiction  as  strange  as  that? 


2l6  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

He  went  to  the  hotel  and  sat  down  to  the  late  table 
alone,  but  there  was  little  on  the  bill  of  fare  that  ap- 
pealed to  his  appetite.  The  interview  with  Morse  had 
disturbed  him  in  every  fibre. 

"  I'll  go  to  Marian,"  he  said,  after  a  long  debate 
with  himself.  "  If  what  he  told  is  true  she  needs  a 
friend  and  I  will  be  one  to  her.  Dick  Morse  is  in  a 
rage  that  won't  down  easily  and  he  shan't  have  a  weak 
girl  to  fight  alone.  I'm  in  a  condition,  financially  and 
otherwise,  to  help  that  brother,  and  I'll  offer  my  ser- 
vices in  any  way  that  seems  advisable.  If  we're  going! 
to  have  a  war  I  may  as  well  begin  getting  my  ammuni- 
tion. Confound  him,  I  wish  he'd  go  back  to  Strom- 
berg,  or  to  the  devil!  I  shan't  enjoy  life  again  till  I 
know  he's  out  of  this  vicinity.  '  Woe  to  those  in  my 
way,'  eh?  Well,  the  man  that  gets  in  my  way  may 
find  his  share  of  woe,  too." 

He  could  not  wait  till  morning  and  though  it  was 
rather  late  he  walked  to  the  Gardner  cottage  and 
rapped  on  the  front  door. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

UNCONTROLLABLE  IMPULSE  ? 

As  soon  as  he  could  finish  an  early  dinner,  Mr. 
Sewall  went  to  see  Marian.  He  was  glad  enough  to 
meet  her  on  friendly  terms,  for  their  encounter  on  the 
night  he  took  her  to  task  for  entertaining-  Mr.  Morse 
so  late  had  left  him  with  anything  but  agreeable  feel- 
ings. He  had  also  learned  many  things  during  his 
drive  with  the  Stromberg  insurance  man,  on  that  same 
afternoon,  and  he  wanted  to  show  by  his  presence  and 
his  manner — if  in  no  more  definite  way — that  he  re- 
gretted extremely  the  course  he  had  inconsiderately 
taken. 

When  she  came  to  the  door  to  admit  him  he  could 
not  help  saying,  "  Do  you  forgive  me?  "  And  when  he 
received  her  reply  in  a  simple  and  whole-souled  "  Yes," 
they  were  both  satisfied  to  make  no  further  allusion  to 
the  unpleasant  circumstance.  Their  talk  changed  im- 
mediately to  Elsie;  and  Marian  told  him  her  reasons  for 
wanting  him  to  take  temporary  charge  of  the  sister. 
He  listened  gravely  till  she  had  finished  and  then  said 
•he  had  already  secured  the  home  she  would  require  and 
would  take  her  there  on  the  following  day,  if  she  was 
ready. 

This  being  settled,  the  conversation  naturally  re- 


2l8  STRANGER  1HAN  FICTION. 

verted  to  Paul.  No  danger  to  him  threatened,  so  far 
as  Marian  knew.  He  had  met  not  only  his  younger 
sister,  but  his  father,  with  no  apparent  suspicion  of  his 
identity  in  the  minds  of  either.  The  bold  step  he  had 
taken,  of  bearding-  the  lion  in  his  very  den,  though 
not  approved  by  her  at  first,  seemed  justified  by  re- 
sults. As  "  Mason  Harvey,"  clerking  in  the  office  of 
one  of  the  men  he  would  naturally  avoid,  Marian 
thought  Paul  might  be  safer  than  among  strangers. 
The  thing  that  troubled  her  most  was  his  reiterated  as- 
sertion that  in  no  circumstances  would  he  be  taken 
back  to  prison.  If  his  whereabouts  were  discovered, 
she  feared  something  dreadful  would  happen. 

Elsie  had  been  up  during  a  part  of  the  day,  but  had 
retired  early,  needing  all  the  strength  she  could  get. 
She  was  quietly  determined  not  to  give  way  to  her  sor- 
row, and  never  to  let  Mr.  Hall  know  how  much  she 
cared  for  him.  The  picture  Marian  drew  of  the  ''child," 
as  they  always  called  her,  was  striking  and  pathetic. 
She  related  the  history  of  Miss  Felton's  visits  and  the 
revelation  of  the  engagement  between  her  and  Mr. 
Hall,  that  had  crushed  the  delicate  flower  on  its  stem. 
Mr.  Sewall  listened  intently  and  when  she  finished 
asked  how  much  she  thought  Mr.  Hall  was  to  blame 
in  the  matter. 

"  I  don't  think  he  is  to  blame  at  all/'  replied  Marian. 
"  Elsie  admits  that  no  word  that  could  be  construed 
into  the  expression  of  a  lover  has  ever  passed  his  lips  to 
her.  He  has  acted  merely  like  a  good  friend,  like  a 
faithful  brother,  to  both  of  us.  I  know  he  likes  Elsie 
very  much  indeed,  but  no  one  can  blame  him  for  that. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  219 

It  probably  never  occurred  to  him  that  she  would  mis~ 
construe  his  attentions.  I'm  sure  it  never  occurred  to 
me.  I  have  seen  them  together  day  after  day  without 
such  a  thought  seriously  entering  my  head.  Elsie  is 
growing  a  little  older,  of  course,  but  to  me  she  is  still  so 
young  that  the  idea  of  matrimony  can  hardly  be  com- 
prehended in  connection  with  her." 

"  I  had  a  companion  on  my  ride  here  from  Brayton 
to-day,"  he  said.  "  Mr.  Mbrse." 

She  started  in  surprise  at  the  statement  and  then 
reddened. 

"  I  got  from  him  what  he  says  is  generally  known  at 
Stromberg,  about  the  former  relations  of  Mr.  Hall  with 
that  young  lady.  It  is  current  gossip  there  that  they 
had  planned  their  future  without  the  aid  of  Mr.  Fel- 
ton,  and  that  when  Mr.  Hall  lost  his  inheritance  his 
chance  of  securing  the  father's  consent  was  despaired 
of.  They  say  also  that  Miss  Gertrude  suffered  severely 
from  the  blow,  and  that  all  efforts  to  induce  her  to  ac- 
cept the  attentions  of  other  gentlemen  have  failed.  Mr. 
Whi'teley  told  me  yesterday  that  since  they  came  West 
things  have  been  rearranged,  however,  and  that  an 
early  marriage  between  them  may  now  be  looked  for." 

Marian  sighed.  If  she  had  had  any  lingering1  hope 
that  Elsie's  love  might  yet  be  returned  this  dashed  it  to 
the  ground. 

"  You  will  assume  charge  of  her  till  she  is  quite  re- 
covered? "  she  said.  "  In  your  hands  I  know  she  will 
be  safe.  It  is  such  a  blessing  to  have  a  friend  like  you 
to  call  on." 


22O  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

"  If  she  were  my  sister,  dear  Marian,"  he  said,  "  1 
could  not  more  gladly  render  her  this  service." 

She  hesitated  at  the  next  question. 

"  Did  Mr.  Morse  say  anything  else — in  relation  to 
us?  He  is  usually  very  uncommunicative." 

"  Nothing  that  I  would  like  to  talk  about  just  now. 
I  think  I  secured  his  confidence,  which  may  be  of  use 
to  some  of  you  in  the  future.  Do  you  know  when  he 
intends  to  go  home?  " 

She  shook  her  head. 

"  Not  very  soon,  I  am  afraid.  I  wish  some  one 
would  convince  him  that  Paul  did  not  take  those  pa- 
pers. As  long  as  he  believes  he  did  we  shall  always 
have  him  to  fear." 

He  bowed,  and  both  were  silent  under  the  spell  of 
this  thought  for  some  moments. 

"I  have  a  theory  of  my  own,"  he  said  at  last,  "  as  to 
what  became  of  the  bonds.  It  is  only  a  theory,  but  I 
am  going  to  work  on  it,  in  the  hope  that  something 
will  develop.  Recent  events  have  made  it  possible 
for  me  to  take  certain  steps  that  I  would  have  shrunk 
from  earlier.  We  all  admit  that  if  the  stolen  property 
could  be  recovered  the  incentive  to  pursue  your 
brother  would  be  removed.  It  is  a  great  task — one 
naturally  quite  out  of  my  line — but  I  am  going  to  try." 

Marian  begged  him  to  be  careful.  She  wanted  no 
more  innocent  people  accused.  Nothing  but  the  most 
absolute  proof  could  justify  the  bringing  in  of  other 
names.  This  Mr.  Sewall  promised  and,  seeing  by  his 
watch  that  it  was  nearly  eight  o'clock,  said  he  would 
take  his  leave,  returning  at  an  early  hour  in  the  morn- 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  221 

ing  for  his  passenger,  whom  Marian  promised  to  have 
ready  for  her  ride. 

Before  he  could  go,  Mr.  Hall  came;  and  when  he 
found  Mr.  Scvvall  there,  begged  him  to  remain  a  few 
minutes  longer.  They  were  all  equally  interested  in 
one  matter.  He  then  related  the  particulars  of  Mr. 
Morse's  visit  to  his  office,  an  hour  before,  repeating  the 
assertion  of  the  latter  that  Paul  Gardner  was  in 
California  and  that  he  would  never  rest  till  he  had  him 
again  in  custody. 

"  You  knew,  then,  it  was  my  poor  brother!  "  cried 
Marian,  beginning  to  weep. 

"  Not  till  he  told  me.  I  was  thunderstruck  at  the 
news.  It  seemed  my  first  duty  to  warn  you.  If  you 
have  any  way  of  communicating  with  him,  urge  him  to 
leave  the  State  at  once.  Whether  he  be  innocent  or 
guilty  of  the  crime  charged,  he  has  suffered  enough. 
I  will  do  anything  you  suggest  to  aid  him;  both  from 
my  high  regard  for  his — his  two  sisters,  and  because 
1  think  he  is  being  persecuted  outrageously.  By-the- 
way,  where  is  Elsie?" 

Averting  her  face,  Marian  replied  that  her  sister  had 
retired  early  with  a  headache.  She  then  asked,  desir- 
ing to  keep  the  conversation  in  its  original  channel,  if 
'Mr.  Morse  had  given  any  other  intimation  of  Paul's 
whereabouts  than  to  say  he  wa^  *n  the  State. 

No,  he  had  not.  And  even  this  might  be  based  on 
guess.  The  only  thing  certain  was  that  he  was  bound 
to  track  him  down,  and  had  tried  to  get  Mr.  Hall's 
help. 

"  Confound  those  bonds !  "  exclaimed  Victor.    "  I 


222  S1RANGER  THAN   FICTION. 

wish  I'd  never  heard  of  them.  They've  made  me  all 
the  trouble  I  ever  had,  I  think.  My  business  is  doing 
well  and  I've  no  need  of  the  property,  even  if  it  is  re- 
covered. Should  it  be  returned  to  me  at  the  cost  of 
suffering  to  any  member  of  your  family,  Miss  Gardner, 
I  would  feel  like  refusing  to  accept  it." 

The  minister  looked  at  the  last  speaker  and 
said  in  a  pointed  way,  "  What  is  your  honest  opinion, 
Mr.  Hall,  about  the  disappearance  of  those  securities?  " 

Victor  wiped  away  the  perspiration  that  his  excite- 
ment had  caused  to  cover  his  face. 

"  I  never  had  but  one,  and  that's  as  likely  to  be 
wrong  as  not.  Nobody  trusted  Richard  Morse,  that  I 
ever  knew,  except  my  misguided  mother.  People 
began  to  tell  me  as  soon  as  he  took  possession  that  I 
never  would  get  what  belonged  to  me.  I  don't  think 
you  can  find  a  man,  woman  or  child  in  Stromberg  who 
has  any  doubt  he  knows  where  the  property  is." 

The  minister's  steady  gaze  had  never  left  the  other's 
countenance. 

'And  you  can  suggest  no  other  probability?  "  he 
asked,  quietly. 

"  Oh,  there  may  be  a  hundred.  Perhaps  the  safe 
opened  itself  and  the  package  flew  out  of  the  locked 
windows.  I  say  again,  it  has  been  a  curse  to  every- 
body concerned.  I  am  the  loser  and  it  ought  to  be 
enough  to  Morse  that  I  refuse  to  aid  him  in  driving  a 
young  man  to  the  wall,  whether  he  has  or  has  not 
been  guilty  of  the  error." 

A^  murmur  that  she  should  never  forget  these  kind 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION".  223 

words  came  from  the  trembling  lips  of  Marian.  But 
the  minister's  set  face  was  still  turned  toward  Mr.  Hall. 

"  I  don't  like  to  injure  your  feelings,"  said  he,  after 
a  most  impressive  pause,  "  but  there  was  a  man  who, 
according  to  his  own  admission,  -had  those  bonds  in 
his  hands  within  forty-eight  hours  of  die  time  they  were 
last  seen  by  any  one  we  know.  Have  you  thought  of 
him?" 

For  a  second  Victor's  brows  knotted  in  a  puzzled 
way  and  then  he  burst  into  a  nervous  laugh  at  the  very; 
absurdity  of  the  idea. 

"Keith?  Ridiculous!  1  don't  think  you  would 
make  a  very  good  detective,  Mr.  Sew-all.  But  you 
have  some  excuse  in  the  fact  that  you  don't  know  the 
man.  Why,  he's  trusted  with  fifty  times  the  amount  I 
losit,  and  his  reputation  is  clear  as  the  skies.  Besides, 
he's  the  dearest  friend — the  dearest  masculine  friend — 
I  have  on  earth.  Keith?  Well,  well!  Is  nobody  go- 
ing to  be  safe  in  this  cursed  affair!  " 

Mr.  Sewall  did  not  join  in  the  laugh,  nor  even  relax 
the  muscles  of  his  set  countenance  in  the  slightest  de- 
gree. 

"  Have  you  never  heard  of  such  a  thing  as  '  uncon- 
trollable impulse?  '  "  he  asked. 

"Pshaw!  I  can't  discuss  it  seriously.  My  errand 
is  done  and  I  must  go.  An  awful  pile  of  work  has  ac- 
cumulated, with  both  Whiteley  and  myself  away,  and 
part  of  the  time  that  new  clerk  of  ours  has  been  out  sick. 
He  is  a  bright  fellow,  by  the  way,  that  Harvey.  I'm 
going  to  get  his  pay  raised  as  soon  as  the  senior  re- 


224  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

turns.  There's  a  chap  you  could  trust,  now.  You 
can  see  honesty  shining  in  every  lineament  of  his  face. 
Give  my  condolences  to  Elsie  when  she  wakes  and  tell 
her  to  run  over  to  the  office  if  she  has  time  to-morrow. 
We  must  take  care  of  our  girl,  Marian.  What  a  sweet 
little  thing  she  is!  " 

'Mr.  Sewall  was  going  also  and  they  took  their  leave 
together.  The  minister  tried  to  renew  the  talk  about 
the  theft,  but  Victor  declared  that  he  should  not  sleep 
a  wink  if  it  was  reopened.  It  fairly  gave  him  the  jim- 
jams,  he  said.  He  had  come  two  thousand  miles,  four 
years  ago,  to  get  out  of  sight  and  sound  of  a  set  of 
mosquitoes  who  kept  buzzing  in  his  ears  that  he  would 
eventually  lose  it  all,  and  the  first  news  he  got  from 
home  told  him  the  catastrophe  had  occurred.  If  he 
must  listen  to  the  disagreeable  subject  here  he  would 
have  to  take  a  ship  and  sail  to  the  Sandwich  Islands. 

"  One  question  and  I  have  done,"  said  Mr.  Sewall. 
"  Who  sent  you  the  news  vou  speak  of,  that  the  securi- 
ties were  stolen? " 

"Why — Keith.  Morse  came  over  and  told  him; 
and,  as  the  only  person  who  knew  my  address,  the 
news  had  to  come  from  his  hand." 

"  That's  all,"  said  the  minister,  but  to  the  disturbed 
mind  of  the  young  lawyer  even  these  simple  words 
were  distasteful. 

"  I  wouldn't  believe  a  thing  like  that  of  Cyrus 
Keith,"  he  exclaimed,  "  if  he  told  me  with  his  own  lips 
he  did  it." 

"  People  who  know  Paul  Gardner  are  quite  as  sure 
of  him." 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  225 

"  Why,  then,"  laughed  Hall,  "  it  comes  back  to  the 

original  starting  place — to  a  man  that  everybody  would 
believe  it  of — that  every  one  does  believe  it  of — Dick 
Morse,  insurance  agent  1 " 


226  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

VICTOR  MAKES  A  PROPOSITION. 

THE  Feltons  returned  to  town  in  a  few  days  and  be- 
gan to  talk  of  going  home.  Victor  Hall  earnestly 
hoped  they  would  do  so,  for  he  wanted  ample  time  to 
think  over  the  new  condition  of  things,  unhampered 
by  their  presence.  He  had  enough  to  do  at  the  office 
to  drive  a  sane  man  wild.  Elsie's  absence  on  some 
mysterious  visit  "to  friends,"  into  which  he  did  not 
feel  like  inquiring  deeply,  worried  him  in  a  vague  way. 
He  missed  the  girl  when  evening  came;  and  the  fact 
that  Gertrude  was  willing  to  devote  to  him  -all  the  time 
he  wanted  did  not,  somehow,  answer  the  purpose.  Mr. 
Gardner,  too,  was  more  persistent  every  day  in  his 
demands  for  money,  and  while  the  amounts  were  small 
and  insignificant,  the  fact  that  he  used  them  to  get 
beastly  drunk  and  went  home  to  annoy  Marian  made 
the  donor  consider  whether  he  should  not  put  his  foot 
down  and  stop  the  thing.  Then  Morse,  who  had  gone 
away  for  a  day  or  two,  took  a  notion  to  return.  Take 
it  altogether,  Mr.  Hall  found  his  life  becoming  one 
continuous  burden. 

"  What  do  you  think,"  said  Mr.  Felton  to  him  one 
evening,  when  talking  about  returning  to  Stromberg, 
"of  my  putting  a  paragraph  in  the  newspapers  an- 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION.  227 

nouncing  your  engagement  to  Gerty?  It  would  pre- 
pare the  public,  you  know,  and  explanations  could  be 
made  in  a  natural  way." 

What  a  business-like  style  the  had  in  talking  of  deli- 
cate matters! 

"  I  wouldn't  do  that — just  yet,"  said  Victor.  "  I 
don't  see  as  there's  any  hurry." 

"  No,  but  it's  all  understood  now,  of  course,  between 
you  young  folks,  and  I  want  to  do  what  is  right  on  my 
side.  You  won't  think  of  living  out  here,  I  suppose, 
after  you're  married?  You  can  get  the  best  business 
there  is  in  Stromberg,  or  if  you  like  it  better,  go  to 
Chicago.  If  you  don't  feel  like  leaving  your  interests 
in  the  mine  entirely,  you  can  run  out  once  or  twice  a 
year,  or  I  would  buy  the  whole  thing  for  cash,  if  you'd 
prefer  to  sell." 

Few  men,  even  along  a  road  they  intend  to  travel, 
enjoy  being  pushed;  and  Victor  Hall  had  still  some 
lingering  doubts  whether  he  wanted  to  travel  on  this 
road  at  all. 

"  These  things  all  require  thought,"  he  stammered, 
"  and  the  best  way  is  to  let  me  think  the  matter  over 
after  you  have  gone  and  write  you  what  decision  I  ar- 
rive at.  My  business,  as  you  can  see,  is  driving  me  fear- 
fully, and  I  can  hardly  find  time  to  eat  and  sleep.  Al- 
low me  a  month  at  least  to  settle  these  points  and  be 
sure  everything  is  decided  for  the  best." 

Somewhat  disappointed,  Mr.  Felton  knew  there  was 
nothing  he  could  do  but  accept  this  suggestion  with  as 
good  grace  as  possible.  He  took  pains  to  get  a  tacit 
acknowledgment  that  the  engagement  between  Mr. 


228  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

Hall  and  his  daughter  had  never  been  broken  off,  iu 
the  presence  of  Mr.  Whiteley,  who  according  to  in- 
structions made  a  note  to  this  effect  in  his  diary.  Then, 
as  there  might  be  such  a  thing  as  carrying  the  cam- 
paign too  far  at  that  season,  the  Feltoris  finally  left 
town,  Gertrude  securing  a  promise  from  Victor  to 
write  often,  and — what  was  of  more  importance — a 
kiss  at  the  railway  'Station  that  was  witnessed  by  twenty 
people. 

"  Mr.  Hall's  engaged  to  that  Miss  Felton  who's  been 
here  with  her  father,"  all  the  gossips  were  saying,  that 
evening.  "  He's  a  millionaire  and  she's  his  only  child. 
Lord!  what  will  Elsie  Gardner  say  when  she  hears  of 
it?  Poor  thing!  She  thought  'she  was  going  to  make 
that  catch  herself." 

It  was  a  hard  position  for  the  young  lawyer  when 
the  men  around  town  began  to  throw  out  hints  and 
even  ask  definite  questions.  He  did  not  wish  to  admit 
the  truth  of  what  they  had  heard,  but  neither  did  he 
think  it  wise  to  deny  it,  when  he  might  decide  to  marry 
Gertrude,  after  all.  He  contented  himself  with  saying, 
"  Did  you?  "  to  those  who  mentioned  that  they  "  had 
heard  "  of  his  engagement,  or  "  Indeed!  "  To  others 
who  asked  if  the  rumor  was  true  he  said,  "  That's  a 
leading  question,"  and  to  still  others  he  gave  equally 
evasive  answers.  The  result  was  that  the  story  was 
confirmed  in  everybody's  mind  and  that  Mr.  Hall  was 
voted  "  a  mighty  'cute  young  feller,"  who  knew  "  on 
which  side  his  bread  was  buttered." 

He  wrote  the  letters  he  had  promised,  very  brief 
ones  they  were,  which  he  ascribed  to  the  demands  o\ 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  22Q 

Business,  but  avoided  saying  anything  that  would  com- 
mit himself,  quite  as  careful  with  the  young  lady  in 
that  respect  as  with  the  voracious  public.  But  the 
postoffice  employes  knew  his  handwriting,  and  every 
envelope  he  addressed  to  Stromberg,  111.,  was  duly  re- 
ported by  the  vigilant  scouts  inside  the  government 
building. 

And  all  the  time  Mr.  Hall  was  thinking,  thinking, 
thinking,  of  Elsie  Gardner.  It  surprised  him  that, 
wherever  she  had  gone,  he  had  received  no  letter  from 
her.  When  she  lived  at  the  old  ranch  she  used  to 
write  with  regularity.  Why  should  she  do  less  now? 
He  wouldn't  ask  questions  of  Marian.  The  way  she 
had  avoided  telling  him  anything  definite  when  he  in- 
quired where  her  sister  had  gone  prevented  that.  All 
the  same  he  wanted  to  know;  and,  the  next  time  Mr. 
Gardner  came  in  he  managed  to  allude  to  the  subject 
in  an  offhand  way,  hoping  something  would  transpire 
from  this  source. 

"  Have  you  heard  from  Elsie,  Mr.  Gardner?  "  he 
asked,  busying  himself  at  the  same  time  among  his 
papers. 

"  I  wouldn't  be  likely  to  hear  nothing''  was  the  old 
man's  reply.  "  I'm  the  last  person  any  of  'em  would 
write  to,  an'  I'm  their  father,  too ! " 

"  Has  she  gone  for  long,  do  you  think?  " 

"  I  dunno.    Till  she  gits  over  it,  I  guess?  " 

"  Is  she  sick?  "  asked  Victor,  with  alarm. 

"  Low-sick.  Leastwise,  that's  what  I  happened  to 
hear  her  tellin'  Marian.  They  don't  let  me  inter  any 
o'  their  secrets.  Could  you  give  me  four  bits?  " 


230  STRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 

Although  he  had  quite  made  up  his  mind  that  he  would 
refuse  the  next  request  in  this  line  (all  the  money  he 
had  given  Gardner  had  come  from  his  private  purse) 
Hall  was  so  startled  by  this  statement  that  he  handed 
the  man  the  money  and  saw  him  depart  with  his  usual 
celerity.  Then  he  leaned  back  in  his  chair  and  pon- 
dered long. 

"Lovesick?"  Little  Elsie?  With  whom  could  it 
be?  He  had  never  known  her  to<  show  any  special 
predilection  for  any  young  man. 

It  was  the  oddest  thing  he  had  heard  for  a  long  time! 
He  began  thinking  of  her  in  a  bridal  veil,  with  orange 
flowers  in  her  hair,  marching  up  the  aisle  of  some 
grand  church  on  the  arm  of  an  individual  dressed  in 
black.  Absurd!  She  was  a  dear  little  child — quite 
unfitted  for  the  dignities  of  matrimony — just  a  baby 
to  be  petted — and  loved — 

He  closed  his  desk  and  went  out  for  a  walk,  choosing 
the  by-streets  and  finally  passing  the  boundaries  of  the 
village.  Down  by  an  arroyo,  shaded  in  places  by  stray 
specimens  of  the  eucalyptus  and  the  pepper  tree,  he 
sat  down,  and  thought,  and  thought. 

Something  he  had  long  had  in  mind  came  to  him 
with  renewed  vigor.  It  was  time  he  talked  it  over 
with  Marian  Gardner. 

Back  to  the  town  he  went,  after  an  hour  alone  in  the 
shade,  and  took  his  way  to  the  cottage  that  Elsie  had 
brightened  by  her  presence,  and  in  which  her  absence 
left  a  vacancy  that  could  be  felt  even  before  he  passed 
the  gate.  The  cottage  was  fairly  embowered  in  a 
mass  of  goldof-Ophir  roses,  that  peculiarly  beautiful 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

'flower  of  Southern  California  which  transforms  the 
most  ordinary  abode  into  a  home  fit  for  a  goddess. 
Geraniums  of  gigantic  size  bloomed  in  the  yard. 
Everything  in  nature  took  -on  the  proportions  of  Brob- 
dingnag.  He  alone  had  shrunken.  His  life  seemed 
to  have  dwindled  in  the  past  few  days  to  a  tithe  of  its 
former  dimensions. 

"  Marian,  have  you  time  for  a  few  minutes'  talk  with 
me?  "  he  asked,  as  the  girl  came  to  admit  him. 

"  Surely,"  she  said,  and  they  seated  themselves  in 
the  parlor. 

"  I  want  to  do  an  act  of  simple  justice,  and  you  must 
not  put  any  objections  in  my  way.  It  has  been  my  in- 
tention ever  since  the  occasion  arose  that  makes  it 
seem  right.  You  know  how  Whiteley  obtained  pos- 
session of  your  ranch.  He  knew  or  believed  there  was 
gold  there  and  instead  of  telling  you  or  me,  he  got  Mr. 
Sherman  to  buy  it  and  transfer  it  to  him.  Then  he 
offered  to  put  it  in  with  the  property  he  and  I  and  Beal 
held  together  and,  after  discussing  the  matter  in  all  its 
bearings,  I  consented.  I  was  not  easy  in  my  mind,  for 
I  felt  that  strict  honesty  would  have  dictated  a  differ- 
ent course.  If  there  was  much  gold  to  be  found  there 
I  believed  it  belonged  of  right  to  you  and  yours.  Be- 
fore I  knew  anything  about  it,  he  had  the  deed.  If  I 
had  declined  to  accept  his  proposal  I  should  have  been 
helpless  to  right  the  wrong.  In  taking  a  third  interest 
I  put  it  in  my  power  to  protect  you  to  at  least  that  ex- 
tent. It  was  then  possible  for  me  to  act  as  your  trus- 
tee and  to  save  a  part  for  those  who  should  have  had  it 
all." 


232  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

The  young  woman  listened  with  astonishment.  She 
did  not  know  what  to  say  and  she  let  him  continue  to 
the  end. 

"  From  the  beginning,  Marian,  I  never  thought  of 
taking  anything  out  of  this  for  myself.  I  could  only 
protect  you  to  the  extent  of  one-third,  but  that  I  was 
determined  you  should  have.  For  awhile  it  began  to 
look  as  if  there  was  a  mistake — that  the  price  you  had 
received  for  your  land  was  all  it  would  ever  prove  to 
be  worth.  Later  Whiteley's  judgment  proved  correct, 
but  in  the  meantime  Mr.  Beal  had  grown  discouraged 
and  sold  out  his  share  to  us.  That  put  an  even  half  of 
everything  at  my  disposal  and  I  have  retained  it  ever 
since — for  you.  It  seems  to  me  that  the  time  has  ar- 
rived when  I  should  restore  it.  I  don't  think  I  shall 
remain  much  longer  in  California.  I  want  to  put  into 
the  hands  of  somebody  you  select  my  half  of  the 
mine  and  lands  connected  with  it,  for  you — and — and 
Elsie — and  the  rest.  You  have  full  confidence  in  Mr. 
Sewall,  suppose  I  make  it  over  to  him?  " 

The  brow  of  the  young  lawyer  was  clouded,  his  voice 
was  husky,  he  spoke  as  if  under  the  pressure  of  strong 
emotion.  When  he  ceased,  Marian  was  silent  for  more 
than  a  minute. 

"  I  am  more  surprised  than  I  can  express  by  what 
you  tell  me,"  she  said,  finally.  "  I  am  afraid  you  have 
overrated  your  duty.  The  enterprise  of  yourself  and 
your  partners  has  made  the,property  we  used  to  own  a 
paying  one.  We  have  had  our  share  of  it  already.  If 
you  insist  I  will  tell  the  others  what  you  say,  but  I 
know  what  my  own  position  will  be.  I  cannot  accept 


STRANGER  THAN"  FICTION.  233 

a  penny  and  I  think  I  can  speak  quite  as  confidently 
for  my  sister.  At  the  same  time  I  feel — and  she  will 
feel — the  great  nobility  of  character  that  leads  you  to 
make  the  offer,  and  you  will  have  our  undying  grati- 
tude just  the  same  as  if  we  agreed  with  you  abotu:  it, 
It  is  the  most  generous  thing  I  ever  heard  proposed^ 
Mr.  Hall,  but  I  wish  you  would  withdraw  it." 

He  was  not  surprised  entirely  at  her  attitude,  but 
he  persisted  that  he  could  not  be  content  till  his  share 
of  the  mine — that  had  come  into  his  hands  in  a  way  he 
had  never  felt  right — was  restored  to  the  Gardner  fam- 
ily. He  was  willing  to  submit  a  list  of  all  the  expenses 
of  development,  and  as  near  as  possible  of  the  receipts 
from  ore  found  on  that  side  of  the  line — cutting  the 
two  in  twain  and  giving  up  only  what  was  clearly 
theirs.  But  she  shook  her  head  as  decidedly  as  before. 

"  I  question,  with  all  respect,  your  right  to  speak  for 
your  sister,"  he  said,  when  he  could  not  move  her. 
"  Can  you  not  send  for  her  and  let  me  present  the  case 
exactly  as  I  have  presented  it  to  you?  There  is  a 
large  sum  at  stake — not  less,  I  estimate,  than  $30,000 
to  be  paid  over  in  cash,  beside  the  stock,  that  has  now 
a  high  and  increasing  value.  She  ought  to  decide  on 
a  case  like  that  with  a  full  knowledge  of  all  the  facts." 

The  figure  he  named  surprised  Marian  and  the 
wealth  it  placed  before  her  dazzled  her  brain.  How 
much  might  be  done  for  Elsie — yes,  and  for  the  poor 
brother  who  was  running  such  danger  of  apprehension 
and  imprisonment,  with  $30,000!  But  she  felt  as 
strongly  as  ever  that  the  money  ought  not  to  be  ac- 
cepted— that  it  could  not  be  in  honor. 


234  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

"  There  is  something  in  what  you  suggest  about  my 
not  being  authorized  to  speak  for  the  others,"  she  ad- 
mitted. "  Elsie  is  visiting  friends  at  some  distance 
from  here,  and  is  not  in  the  best  of  health.  She  has 
— an  affection  of  the  heart.  I  do  not  like  to  send  for 
her  to  come  home  just  yet.  But  I  will  write  her,  ex- 
pressing no  opinion  of  my  own,  and  leave  her  to  say 
what  her  judgment  is.  She  will  never  'take  it,  though, 
Mr.  Hall,  I  am  sure.  She  does  not  care  for  money,  to 
begin  with,  and  she  expressed  her  opinion  strongly 
when  you  came  to  us  at  the  time  Air.  Whiteley  offered 
the  property  to  you,  that  you  had  the  fullest  right  to 
buy  it  and  reap  whatever  benefit  might  accrue." 

He  looked  like  a  sick  man,  leaning  heavily  on  one 
elbow,  that  rested  on  an  arm  of  the  chair  he  occupied. 

"  There  is  still  another  member  of  your  family  who 
should  be  consulted,"  said  he,  gutturally.  "  One  who 
•has  just  as  much  legal  right  to  anything  that  inures 
to  your  mother's  estate  as  the  rest  of  you.  If  you  can 
reach  him  'by  mail — as  I  presume  I  have  a  right  to 
surmise — his  decision  should  not  be  overlooked.  I 
am  determined  to  surrender  all  my  share  in  that  prop- 
erty to  some  one.  If  part  of  you  refuse  to  take  it  I 
shall  give  it  to  those,  if  any,  who  hold  a  different 
opinion." 

'Marian's  head  whirled.  If  she  had  a  friend  on  earth 
whom  she  could  trust  it  must  'surely  be  the  man  be- 
fore her,  urging  her  to<  accept  a  large  part  of  the  for- 
tune he  had  acquired,  even  for  the  brother  who  stood 
before  the  law  guilty  of  having  robbed  him. 

"  Mr.  Hall,"  she  said,  rising  and  putting  her  hand  on 


STRANGFR  THAN   FICTION.  235 

his  shoulder,  "  I  still  think  it  unwise  to  trouble  Elsie 
with  this  matter  now.  If  you  cannot  be  moved  from 
your  purpose  to  offer  to  this  family  what  I  assure  you 
I  never  will  touch,  myself,  you  may  begin  with  Paul. 
That  I  trust  you  with  all  my  heart  you  will  be  con- 
vinced when  I  tell  you  where  to  find  him.  He  has 
been  in  your  employ  for  several  months  under  the 
name  of  '  Mason  Harvey.'  " 

He  looked  as  if  about  to  swoon,  but  recovered  him- 
self and  rose  to  go. 

"  I  have  no  sister,  Mannie,"  said  he,  holding  out  his 
hand  as  he  used  the  affectionate  diminutive.  "  Will 
you  let  me  kiss  you,  as  a  token?  " 

She  threw  her  arms  around  his  neck,  sobbing  with 
the  excess  of  her  feeling,  and,  hardly  less  affected  than 
she,  he  pressed  his  lips  to  her  fevered  cheek. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION^ 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

"MY  WIFE  NEEDS  NO  DEFENCE." 

THE  front  door,  near  which  they  stood,  had  opened 
noiselessly  and  a  stealthy  step  had  crossed  the  thresh- 
old. Richard  Morse  stood  gazing  at  the  young 
couple  with  mild  surprise.  Overcome  for  the  mo- 
ment with  indignation  Victor  turned  and  faced  the 
intruder  angrily. 

"  You  impudent  hound!  "  he  cried.  "  Has  it  come 
to  this,  that  you  walk  into  private  dwellings  and  spy 
on  people,  without  even  knocking?  Take  yourself 
out  this  instant!  " 

"  First  tell  me  what  business  it  is  of  yours,  whether 
I  come  here  or  not,"  was  the  bold  reply.  There 
was  little  of  the  Morse  Victor  had  known  in  the  new 
attitude  and  tone. 

Marian  stepped  between  the  men,  as  if  her  slight 
touch  could  prevent  the  collision  that  threatened. 

"  For  my  sake,  remember,  both  of  you!  "  she  ejacu- 
lated. 

"  I  am  the  guardian  of  this  young  lady's  estate  and 
to  a  certain  extent  of  herself,"  said  Hall,  restraining 
his  wrath  as  well  as  he  could.  "  And  if  I  were  not 
I  would  allow  no  interloper  to  annoy  her.  Again  I 
tell  you  to  go." 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  337 

"And  again  I  refuse,"  said  Morse,  returning-  his 
scowls  with  interest.  "No,  Marian,"  he  continued, 
as  the  young  woman  appealed  to  him  with  her  eyes 
to  make  no  scene,  "  I  have  been  misrepresented  by 
this  man  too  long.  It  is  time  I  should  speak  out.  He 
and  I  are  enemies  and  nothing  can  be  gained  by 
silence."  Then  to  Mr.  Hall,  "  Perhaps  you  will  feel 
your  responsibility  for  this  lady  somewhat  lessened 
when  I  tell  you  she  is  my  wife! " 

Victor  fell  back  and  looked  from  one  of  them  to 
the  other  in  amazement. 

"  Is  it  true?  "  he  said  to  Marian,  with  white  lips. 

She  bowed  silently,  with  her  eyes  fixed  on  the  car- 
pet. 

"Then  I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  said,  more  to  her 
than  to  Mr.  Morse.  "  I  may  be  excused,  I  think, 
for  never  dreaming  of  such  a  thing  as  that." 

"  But  now  that  you  know  this  you  should  learn 
some  other  facts,"  said  Morse,  bridling  at  the  insult* 
ing  insinuation.  "  You  have  acted  toward  me  as  if 
I  were  a  crawling  reptile,  only  fit  to  be  spurned  by 
your  feet.  I  have  endured  it  until  I  can  do  so  no 
longer.  If  you  have  a  particle  of  manhood  in  you, 
stay  till  I  show  you  how  bitterly  I  have  been  ma- 
ligned. Marian,  have  you  any  influence  with  this 
hard  man?  If  you  have,  join  your  entreaties  to  mine." 

The  feminine  fear  of  scenes  would  have  induced  the 
young  woman  to  evade  the  one  impending,  had  she 
not  been  approached  in  this  direct  fashion.  What 
her  husband  wanted  to  say  must  be  known  to  Mr. 
Hall  some  time,  and  it  might  be  as  well  to  have  the 


238  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

agony  over.  To  Victor's  inquiring  glance  she  re- 
sponded with  a  look  which  showed  that  she  wished 
him  to  remain  and  listen.  Hesitating  a  moment  be- 
tween two  opinions  he  gave  in  and  laid  down  his  hat. 

"  You  have  no  faith  in  me,"  began  Morse,  "  but  I 
think  you  believe  in  the  honesty  of  my  wife.  In  any- 
thing I  may  say  with  which  she  differs  I  ask  her  in 
advance  to  tell  you  wherein  I  am  wrong.  There  is 
no  need  of  invention  or  exaggeration.  The  story 
is  quite  sufficient  as  it  is. 

"  I  have  known  the  Gardner  family,  then,  for  more 
than  twelve  years;  before,  in  fact,  they  moved  from 
the  East  to  California.  Mrs.  Gardner  knew  and 
trusted  me — your  mother  was  not  the  only  person 
who  ever  did  that,  you  see.  I  managed  the  little 
patrimony  her  father  left  her.  After  her  health  com- 
pelled her  to  move  West  I  sent  her  the  proceeds  and 
from  time  to  time  such  of  the  principal  as  she  was 
obliged  to  have.  Her  husband,  as  you  well  know, 
was  of  no  assistance  during  that  time,  having  acquired 
habits  that  unfitted  him  for  work  or  business. 

"  Nearly  eight  years  ago  Mrs.  Gardner  wrote  me 
to  come  to  Brayton.  Mr.  Gardner  was  using  every 
effort  to  induce  her  to  sell  the  ranch  on  which  they 
resided,  going  even  to  the  point  of  using  threats  (I 
must  tell  the  whole  story,  Marian).  She  had  a  nat- 
ural fear  that  if  this  home  was  sacrificed  the  dram- 
shop would  soon  get  the  proceeds  and  she  and  her 
children  be  left  without  a  roof  to  cover  them.  When 
I  arrived  I  found  a  sharper  in  the  house,  with  a  deed 
already  drawn  up,  and  the  two  men  trying  to  force  a 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION.  239 

^en  into  the  hand  of  that  invalid  woman,  lying  help- 
less in  her  bed.  Marian  here  was  crying  helplessly  at 
the  scene,  while  the  younger  ones  had  been  sent  on 
some  errand  by  their  shrewd  father.  I  took  in  the 
situation  at  a  glance.  I  asked  Mrs.  Gardner  if  she 
wished  to  sign  the  paper.  She  assured  me  in  trembling 
tones  that  she  did  not.  I  reached  out  and  as  quick  as  a 
flash  tore  the  document  to  bits  before  the  eyes  of  the 
plotters,  at  the  same  time  ordering  the  would-be  pur- 
chaser from  the  room.  Am  I  telling  the  exact  truth, 
Marian?" 

Mrs.  Morse,  who  was  pressing  a  handkerchief  spas- 
modically to  her  eyes,  nodded  in  acquiescence. 

"  Foiled  in  a  plan  he  had  nearly  succeeded  in  ac- 
complishing— 'that  of  robbing  his  wife  of  the  little  that 
remained  to  her,  and  for  which  the  price  to  be  paid 
was  less  than  half  what  she  had  given  for  the  prop- 
erty— Darius  Gardner  threw  himself  upon  me.  In 
defending  my  face  from  his  blows  I  had  to  grapple 
with  him.  His  accomplice  lost  no  time  in  getting 
out  of  the  house.  I  had  succeeded  in  throwing  my 
antagonist  to  the  floor,  his  head  striking  some  projec- 
tion so  severely  that  he  lay  unconscious,  when  his  son 
Paul,  a  lad  of  fifteen,  came  in.  Catching  up  a  fruit 
knife  that  lay  on  a  table,  and  without  waiting  to  in- 
quire as  to  the  right  or  wrong  of  what  he  saw,  he 
plunged  it  into  my  side.  (Marian,  I  must  tell  every- 
thing now.  I  have  a  duty  to  myself  that  outweighs  all 
else.)" 

The  last  remark  was  caused  by  an  appealing  little 


24O  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

cry  the  wife  had  sent  up,  which  implored  him  to  spare 
allusions  to  her  unhappy  brother. 

"  I  went  down  under  that  'thrust,"  continued 
Morse,  while  Mr.  Hall  gazed  at  him  half  stupefied, 
"  bleeding  internally  and  nearly  lost  consciousness. 
Marian  ran  to  the  stable,  put  a  bridle  on  a  horse,  rode 
to  town  and  brought  a  doctor.  His  services  were 
badly  needed,  you  may  believe.  Mrs.  Gardner,  so 
ill  that  the  greatest  quiet  had  been  enjoined  on  all  the 
family,  was  hardly  able  to  speak;  her  husband's  head 
was  tied  up  with  cloths,  which  his  son  had  procured 
for  him;  while  I  had  come  within  half  an  inch  of  my 
death,  a  variation  of  that  amount  in  the  knife  thrust 
being  pronounced  inevitably  fatal.  They  took  me  to 
the  doctor's  residence,  where  I  hovered  between  life 
and  death,  as  it  was,  for  several  months.  Youth  and 
good  habits — I  am  entitled  to  say  that — brought  me 
through,  but  I  never  have  been  and  never  shall  be 
the  man  I  was  before.  If  you  think  a  cut  four  inches 
deep  in  the  side  with  a  recently  used  fruit  knife  will 
add  to  one's  physical  stamina,  Mr.  Hall,  you  ought  to 
try  it.  I  found  to  the  contrary. 

"  Of  course  the  story  that  an  affray  had  taken  place 
got  out  and  the  authorities  came  to  look  into  the  mat- 
ter. When  they  thought  I  would  die  they  got  depo- 
sitions as  to  what  had  occurred.  The  evidence  was 
all  to  one  effect.  I  wanted  them  (Marian,  did  I, 
or  did  I  not?)  to  consider  Paul's  offence  the  unpre- 
meditated impulse  of  a  boy  who  thought  his  father  was 
being  injured,  but  the  court  said  no.  On  ac- 
count of  his  extreme  youth  they  would  not  sentence 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION.  241 

him  to  an  ordinary  prison,  but  the  impetuous  temper 
he  had  shown  made  some  restraint  necessary.  His 
father,  to  whom  the  entire  family  appealed,  could  only 
remember  that  he  had  been  foiled  in  his  attempt  to 
get  fifteen  hundred  dollars  into  his  hands  that  he  could 
spend  for  rum.  He  and  Paul  had  never  been  very 
friendly,  the  boy  too  often  taking  the  side  of  his  mother 
when  the  father  came  home  intoxicated.  Paul  went 
to  the  reform  school,  sentenced  to  remain  there  till  he 
.was  of  age." 

Except  for  the  tones  of  the  speaker  and  the  occa- 
sional gasps  of  his  wife  behind  her  handkerchief,  the 
room  was  as  still  as  a  grave.  There  was  something 
awful  to  Mr.  Hall  in  this  spirited  defence  from  a  man 
who  had  never  seemed  to  have  courage  enough  to 
face  a  sparrow. 

"  Moved  by  the  entreaties  of  the  poor  mother,  and," 
the  voice  sank  to  a  whisper,  "  by  the  love  already 
planted  in  my  breast  for  this  sweet  girl,  I  tried  in 
every  way  to  secure  a  commutation  of  the  sentence 
Paul  received.  At  last  I  was  successful.  The  Gov- 
ernor said  if  I  would  take  him  to  Illinois  and  keep 
him  under  my  personal  supervision  till  he  was  twenty- 
one  he  might  go  with  me.  That  was  five  years  ago. 
While  out  here  on  this  errand  I  confessed  to  Marian 
the  love  I  had  for  her  and  tried  to  induce  her  to  marry 
me  then.  She  insisted  that  we  must  wait  till  Paul 
had  redeemed  himself  from  the  blot  on  the  family,  but 
consented  to  go  East  and  accept  some  suitable  posi- 
tion which  I  was  to  procure  her.  At  her  request  noth- 
ing was  said  to  her  mother  or  the  others  of  the  en- 


242  STRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 

gagement  between  us,  she  fearing  it  might  disturb  the 
invalid.  The  excuse  was  made  that,  owing  to  her 
father's  growing  irritability  and  bad  habits,  as  well  as 
the  waning  fortunes  of  the  family,  it  was  best  for  her 
to  do  something  for  herself.  After  two  years,  during 
which  I  constantly  urged  that  our  marriage  take  place, 
an  event  occurred  that  postponed  it  still  further.  That 
event  was  the  one  in  which  you  are  interested  and 
need  not  be  detailed  here  at  length. 

"  But  what  must  be  told,"  pursued  Mr.  Morse,  rais- 
ing his  voice,  after  a  momentary  pause  for  breath,  "  is 
this:  That  in  my  fierce  determination  to  do  right  by 
you,  sir,  I  used  every  effort  to  force  out  of  my  pros- 
pective brother-in-law  the  hiding  place  of  your  prop- 
erty, even  to  prosecuting  him  relentlessly,  and  seeing 
him  taken  to  prison  on  a  five-years'  sentence;  even  to 
hearing  from  his  sister's  lips  that,  if  I  persisted,  she 
would  never  be  my  wife!  I  loved  her  as  I  do  to-day, 
as  I  have  since  she  was  a  child,  passionately  and  de- 
votedly— and  I  told  her,  notwithstanding,  that  I  would 
sacrifice  my  happiness,  if  need  be,  on  the  altar  of  my 
business  honor.  Until  I  could  go  to  you,  Mr.  Hall, 
and  say,  '  Here  are  the  bonds  that  were  stolen  while  in 
my  custody/  I  would  never  rest  content.  The  dear 
girl,  after  proving  to  her  satisfaction  that  I  could  not 
be  moved  from  what  I  thought  just,  and  learning,  I 
hope,  to  appreciate  the  sentiments  that  moved  me, 
finally  consented  to  have  the  ceremony  that  made  us 
one  performed.  A  letter  from  her  mother  made  her 
feel  it  her  duty  to  return  to  her  old  home,  however, 
and  after  we  were  united  she  took  the  first  train. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  243 

'When  may  I  come  to  see  you?'  I  asked.  'When  we 
have  proved  my  brother  an  innocent  man,'  she  an- 
swered, and  with  those  words  vanished  from  my  view. 
I  could  next  chide  her  for  holding  to  her  sense  .of  duty 
as  strongly  as  I  held  to  my  own.  She  believes  her 
brother  an  injured  man,  to-day ;  I  know  him  to  be  a 
guilty  one;  and  until  he  makes  restitution  of  what  he 
has  taken  I  will  pursue  him,  though  in  the  meantime 
my  heart  is  breaking  for  the  love  of  die  sweetest  and 
purest  wife  man  ever  possessed." 

Mr.  Hall  sprang  from  his  chair  like  one  demented. 

"  I  can't  listen  to  this!  "  he  cried,  his  nerves  twitch- 
ing. "  I  have  made  an  awful  mistake !  Forgive  me, 
Mr.  Morse,  and  you,  too,  Marian,  if  you  can.  You 
never  intended,  sir,  to  rob  me,  though  I  believed  it 
with  all  my  soul.  But  neither  did  Paul  Gardner.  No, 
no!  There  is  some  other  explanation  to  this  mys- 
tery and  I  will  devote  myself  to  unearthing  it.  Yes, 
I  will  abandon  my  pursuit  of  business  and  fortune  till 
I  have  righted  him  in  your  eyes  as  you  have  righted 
yourself  in  mine!  " 

The  insurance  man  did  not  respond  with  any  en- 
thusiasm to  this  admission  and  declaration.  He  had 
said  his  say — as  the  expression  goes — and  the  opin- 
ion of  this  person,  whether  he  was  enemy  or  friend, 
mattered  nothing  to  him. 

"  In  reference  to  what  you  saw  when  you  entered 
the  house  to-night,"  pursued  Hall,  thinking  something 
in  this  line  was  required,  "  lot  me  assure  you  that  your 
wife  could  not  be  more  sacred  to  me  if  she  were  my 
sister." 


244  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

w  My  wife  needs  no  defence  from  you,  sir,**  was  the 
brusque  retort  "  I  criticise  nothing  more  than  her 
taste  in  bestowing  friendship  on  one  so  unworthy.  I 
think  you  will  now  admit  my  right  to  be  alone  with 
Mrs.  Morse,  and  I  hope  you  will  excuse  us  from  your 
company  for  the  present." 

Though  Marian  looked  the  picture  of  distress  at 
this  statement,  the  words  were  spoken.  With  head 
aching  and  with  limbs  that  seemed  like  lead  Mr.  Hall 
went  back  to  the  hotel. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION,  245 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

THE  BIRD  TAKES  FLIGHT. 

IT  still  lacked  some  minutes  of  five  o'clock,  the  hour 
at  which  the  law  offices  were  usually  closed  to  the  pub- 
lic. After  a  slight  rest  Mr.  Hall  began  to  think  of  the 
danger  in  which  Paul  Gardner  would  be  if  he  continued 
in  his  present  situation.  Mr.  Morse  had  made  no  secret 
of  his  intentions.  If  he  discovered  the  identity  of  the 
escaped  prisoner  he  would  without  doubt  put  the  au- 
thorities on  his  track.  The  lawyer  roused  himself,  put 
on  his  hat  again  and,  though  weary  and  far  from  well, 
dragged  himself  to' his  business  rooms. 

Paul  was  still  there  and  luckily  alone.  Without  cir- 
cumlocution Hall  told  him  what  he  had  learned  from 
Marian  and  advised  him  to  lose  no  time  In  putting  a 
long  distance  between  himself  and  Olluma. 

"  You  are  entitled  as  much  as  the  others  to  share  in 
your  mother's  property,"  he  said,  "  which  has  turned 
out  more  valuable  than  was  expected.  I  have  an  ex- 
planation to  make  in  regard  to  that  matter,  but  it  will 
have  to  be  deferred  till  you  are  in  less  danger.  Take 
my  advice  and  leave  town  at  once.  Here  is  a  sum  of 
money  that  you  will  find  handy.  You  can  accept  it 
without  compunction,  as  it  is  really  your  own.  When 


246  STRANGER  THAN    FICTION, 

you  are  safe  at  some  distant  point,  write  me  and  I  will 
do  everything  in  my  power  to  assist  you  further." 

"  You  do  not  believe  me  guilty,  then  ?  "  said  the 
grateful  youth,  as  he  accepted  the  proffered  funds. 

"  No,  I  never  have  believed  it,  since  I  first  heard  of 
your  misfortune,  which  was  but  recently.  Neither  do  I 
think  Morse  took  the  bonds,  though  it  is  only  within 
the  last  hour  that  I  heard  his  full  story.  I  am  going  to 
prove  who  did  it,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  and  then  all 
doubts  of  your  innocence  will  be  removed.  Go  now, 
Paul,  without  delay.  Something  tells  me  that  you  are 
in  great  danger  and  that  every  minute  you  remain  in 
Olluma  is  perilous.  Take  one  of  the  country  roads  and 
board  a  train  at  a  way  station.  You  have  made  too 
good  a  fight  to  let  them  take  you  now." 

Paul  set  his  lips  together  in  a  determined  way. 

"  They  never  shall  take  me,  Mr.  Hall,"  he  said.  "  I 
have  suffered  all  the  imprisonment  I  will  for  a  crime  I 
never  committed.  Your  kindness  is  fully  appreciated 
and  you  shall  never  regret  it.  Good-by." 

"  Good-by.  In  an  hour  I  hope  you  will  be  far  from 
here  and  that  your  tracks  will  be  so  well  covered  no 
one  can  trace  you." 

The  alarm  that  Mr.  Hall  felt  had  by  this  time  become 
thoroughly  communicated  to  the  younger  man.  He 
started  first  to  go  to  his  lodgings,  but  paused  ere  he 
reached  there,  conjuring  up  the  spectre  of  an  officer 
of  the  law  waiting  for  him  at  the  door.  Turning  into  a 
by-street  he  walked  rapidly  toward  the  outskirts,  with 
no  definite  destination  in  view.  Before  going  far  he 
saw  his  brother  Jacob,  who  was  hastening  after  him. 


STRANGER  TITAN   FICTION.  247 

"  Mannie  sent  me  to  tell  yer  she  t'inks  Morse  is  on," 
he  said,  out  of  breath.  "  She  wants  yer  to  git  out  o' 
town  as  quick  as  yer  kin.  Here  is  some  boodle  ter  pay 
yer  way." 

"  I  don't  need  the  money,  Jakey,  and  I  am  going 
away  now.  Air.  Hall  warned  me  at  the  office  and  gave 
me  plenty  of  cash  to  start  with.  I  can't  stop  even  to 
talk  with  you,  so  good-by." 

But  Jacob  had  no  idea  of  being  "shaken"  in  this  sum- 
mary fashion.  No  one  was  near,  as  they  had  passed  the 
line  of  residences,  and  he  kept  up  at  a  dog-trot  with  the 
rapid  steps  of  the  other. 

"  Hall  gave  yer  money !  "  he  repeated,  with  a  grimace 
of  dissatisfaction.  "  Then  he's  up  ter  some  trick  and 
yer'd  better  look  out.  He  cheated  us  out  o'  de  ranch 
and  he's  no  frien'  of  mine.  Whar  yer  goin',  Paul?  I'll 
bet  anything  he's  gone  to  de  perlice  and  sent  'em  after 
yer." 

The  boy's  language  had  been  "  enriched  "  by  certain 
acquaintances  he  had  recently  made,  till  it  was  worse 
than  ever. 

"  Nonsense,  Jakey !  Why  \vould  he  give  me  the 
imoney  and  advise  me  to  run  away  if  he  meant  to  do 
that?" 

"So's  he  could  pertend  he  didn't.  Oh,  he's  a  deep 
tin !  P'raps  when  dey  catch  yer  an'  fine  de  money  on 
yer,  he'll  say  yer  stole  it  from  his  office.  He  an'  Morse 
have  been  togedder  lots  lately.  Don't  trust  him,  Paul; 
he'll  t'row  yer  down,  sure's  yer  livin'." 

Improbable  as  the  idea  seemed,  it  troubled  the  elder 
brother,  now  considerably  excited.  He  asked  Jacob 


248  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

what  he  could  do,  if  he  was  not  to  follow  the  advice  of 
his  late  employer. 

"  I've  got  a  plan  fer  yer.  I've  knowed  fer  a  long  time 
ye'd  have  ter  make  a  skip,  an'  I've  ben  preparin'.  It'll 
be  dark  in  an  hour  an'  we  kin  take  de  road  to  Brayt'n. 
Dere's  no  railroad  dere  an'  dey'll  never  t'ink  o'  lookin' 
fer  yer  in  dat  direction.  De  ol'  barn  we  uster  own  is 
empty  now,  an'  I've  got  a  lot  of  stuff  laid  away,  'spect- 
in'  dis  very  t'ing.  Dar's  vittles  enough  to  last  two  of 
us  a  week  or  more,  besides  de  rifle  an'  shot-gun  an' 
plenty  of  ammunition.  I  tole  Mannie  when  ahe  sent 
me  to  yer  to-night  dat  I  might  go  wid  yer  a  piece,  so 
she  won't  be  scairt  if  I  don't  git  home.  Dat  barn's  de 
place,  Paul.  Ef  yer  try  ter  git  on  ter  a  train,  dey'll 
telegraph  ahead  an'  cotch  yer  easy." 

In  his  nervous  state  Paul  Gardner  was  ready  to  grasp 
at  any  straw.  He  welcomed  the  aid  of  his  small  friend, 
at  a  time  when  every  bush  seemed  an  officer  and  every 
whisper  in  the  pepper  trees  a  "  Surrender  or  I  fire !  " 
The  shadows  were  falling  and  soon  they  would  be  able 
to  pursue  their  way  unobserved  by  any  late  passer  along 
the  highway.  Without  accepting  his  brother's  proposi- 
tion in  words  he  continued  his  rapid  walk,  occasionally 
replying  to  the  latter's  observations.  In  this  way  they 
did  the  twenty  miles,  without,  so  far  as  they  could  see, 
being  pursued  by  any  hostile  force,  and  shortly  after 
one  o'clock  came  to  the  place  desired. 

''  There's  a  light  in  one  of  the  rooms  of  the  house," 
whispered  Paul,  as  they  approached. 

"  Yes,  some  o'  de  miners  put  up  dere ;  but  dere's  no- 


'STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  249 

body  in  de  barn,  not  even  a  boss,  an'  we  kin  hide  dere 
till  it's  safe  ter  move  on." 

Creeping  around  to  the  rear  of  the  structure  the  boys 
entered  noiselessly.  Jakey  proudly  pointed  out,  by  the 
dim  light  that  entered  from  a  hole  in  the  roof,  the  small 
armory  he  had  sequestered,  and  the  stock  of  food  he 
had  smuggled  away,  on  a  recent  visit  to  the  neighbor- 
hood, during  a  school  vacation.  He  was  in  ecstacies, 
having  at  last  entered  on  a  career  in  opposition  to  the 
constituted  authorities  of  the  land,  such  as  had  been 
dear  to  his  little  heart  ever  since  he  was  old  enough  to 
read  his  first  dime  novel.  But  both  'were  very  tired 
and  after  a  few  whispered  words  they  fell  into  a  sound 
sleep,  that  lasted  till  noon. 

In  the  meantime  events  at  Olluma  proved  that  Paul 
had  taken  his  departure  none  too  soon.  Mr.  Morse  had 
overheard  the  words  of  his  wife  to  Hall,  ''  He  is  in  your 
employ  under  the  name  of  Mason  Harvey,"  just  as  he 
opened  the  door  of  the  cottage  and  found  them  to- 
gether. Like  a  flash  he  realized  what  it  was  in  the 
clerks  face  that  had  haunted  him  with  reminiscence. 
The  absconding  prisoner  was  there,  where  one  would 
be  least  likely  to  suspect,  brazening  it  out  to  the 
very  faces  of  the  men  he  had  wronged.  Cunning  and 
cool,  Morse  decided  that  his  best  course  was  to  disarm 
suspicion  by  completing  his  call  at  the  Gardners'  in  the 
usual  way,  and  not  acting  as  if  in  any  haste  to  depart. 
He  stayed  an  hour  after  Mr.  Hall  went  out,  and  then 
walked  leisurely  to  the  hotel  and  took  his  dinner  at  a 
table  but  a  few  feet  from  that  occupied  by  the  attorney. 
At  eight  o'clock  he  strolled  out  on  the  street  and  went 


250  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION". 

leisurely  to  the  residence  of  the  chief  of  police,  with 
whom  he  had  already  become  acquainted  and  who  knew 
the  cause  that  had  brought  him  to  California. 

"  I've  located  our  man,"  said  he,  when  he  was  alone 
with  the  officer.  "  If  you  will  bring  two  or  three  fel- 
lows with  you  after  ten  o'clock  we  can  take  him  quietly 
out  of  his  bed  and  save  all  trouble." 

The  officer  knew  that  a  reward  of  $500  was  outstand- 
ing for  the  culprit,  and  had  been  assured  that  he  would 
also  be  remunerated  from  the  private  purse  of  his  in- 
formant in  case  he  secured  the  fellow.  He  rubbed  his 
hands  together  with  satisfaction,  therefore,  and  asked 
for  fuller  particulars. 

"  I  don't  think  I  need  any  help,"  he  said,  when  the 
matter  was  explained  to  him.  ''  I  could  take  half  a 
dozen  young  chaps  like  that  alone." 

"  You'd  better  not  risk  it.  He's  sure  to  have  a  pistol 
and  he's  desperate.  I  don't  want  to  touch  him,  of 
course,  being  my  wife's  brother,  so  you  mustn't  depend 
on  me.  Take  men  enough,  for  if  he  gets  away  now,  I 
shall  have  had  all  my  trouble  for  nothing." 

After  some  further  talk  it  was  agreed  that  two  other 
police  should  accompany  the  chief,  to  picket  the 
grounds  in  case  there  was  a  premature  alarm.  The 
wily  officer  wanted  all  the  glory  to  be  achieved  from 
apprehending  with  his  own  single  hand  this  famous 
desperado,  and  above  all  things  of  securing  for  himself 
the  reward  whose  offer  had  been  for  months  pasted  on 
the  scrapbook  of  his  office. 

The  chief  had  no  trouble  in  learning  where  Whiteley 
&  Hall's  clerk  roomed.  Olluma  was  just  the  sized  town 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION.  2$  I 

for  everybody  to  know  things  like  that.  There  were 
very  few  people  who  wanted  board,  and  fewer  yet  who 
made  a  business  of  furnishing  that  commodity.  Mr. 
Morse  went  back  to  the  hotel  and  awaited  with  anxiety 
the  signal  the  chief  promised  when  he  had  the  much 
wanted  man  under  lock  and  key. 

It  was  a  period  of  severe  mental  strain  to  the  insur- 
ance man.  Much  as  he  wanted  to  regain  possession  of 
the  securities— which  he  had  small  doubt  would  soon 
follow  this  arrest — he  could  not  help  thinking  of  Ma- 
rian. To  find  her  brother  again  in  custody,  trapped  by 
her  husband,  would  reopen  all  the  unhappy  differences 
that  time  might  have  closed.  It  was  a  sad  necessity  that 
faced  him.  Had  the  property  been  his  own — or  had  he 
possessed  sufficient  personal  fortune  to  make  the  loss 
good  to  Mr.  Hall — he  would  have  sacrificed  it  instantly 
rather  than  bring  one  tear  to  the  eyes  he  loved.  His 
honor  as  a  trustee  was  an  entirely  different  thing.  He 
must  make  the  world  admit  that  his  character  wras  un- 
tarnished, before  he  could  introduce  to  that  world  the 
wife  who  would  be  to  a  great  extent  affected  by  his  own 
standing. 

At  about  1 1  o'clock  he  received  the  signal  agreed  on 
that  the  head  of  the  police  department  of  Olluma  was 
ready  to  see  him.  This  was  a  whistle  from  the  street 
above  the  hotel,  made  on  the  implement  ordinarily 
used  for  police  calls.  Hastening  to  the  place,  Mr.  Morse 
found  a  much  disgruntled  man  awaiting  him, 

"  Our  bird  has  flown,"  he  said.  "  He  didn't  come  to 
dinner  and  we  can't  find  any  one  who  saw  him  leave 
the  office.  Something's  put  him  on  his  guard." 


252  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION, 

"  Then  rouse  up  the  telegraph  operator  and  send  tha 
news  in  every  direction !  "  cried  the  excited  Mr.  Morse. 
"  He  has  probably  taken  to  the  railroad  and  can  be  cut 
off  if  you  are  quick." 

Together  they  went  to  the  house  of  the  telegraph 
operator,  who  proved  to  be  a  young  woman  and  whom 
the  promise  of  five  dollars  for  extra  speed  did  not  stim- 
ulate to  much  celerity.  The  perspiration  streamed 
down  Morse's  face  at  the  delay.  He  was  a  prey  to  bit- 
ter regrets,  for  if  he  had  left  Marian  at  once  when  he 
heard  the  accusing  sentence  he  would  certainly  have 
been  in  time  to  intercept  Paul. 

Even  a  female  telegraph  operator  can  be  moved  in 
time,  however,  and  about  midnight  the  news  of  the 
escape  was  being  read  in  all  directions.  The  greatest 
fear  Morse  had  now  was  caused  by  the  fact  that  at  most 
of  the  smaller  stations  the  operators  had,  like  her,  left 
their  posts  and  would  not  return  till  morning.  Nothing 
could  be  done  about  it,  and  paying  the  woman  her 
money,  which  she  received  with  not  even  a  "  thank 
you,"  he  left  the  place. 

"  Have  you  seen  the  livery  men?  "  he  asked,  as  a  new 
thought  struck  him.  "  He  may  have  hired  a  team." 

No,  the  astute  guardian  of  the  peace  had  not  seen  the 
livery  men.  He  was  not  used  to  anything  larger  in  the 
way  of  crime  than  a  common  drunk  or  a  petty  larceny. 
Besides  he  was  sleepy  and  the  bright  vision  of  the  $500 
reward  had  faded  from  his  view  till  he  had  little  hopes 
of  ever  seeing  it  again.  He  told  Mr.  Morse  that  he  was 
not  feeling  \\ell,  that  he  guessed  he  would  go  home  and 
get  his  rest,  and  that,  if  he  thought  it  worth  while  to  see 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  253 

the  livery  stable  keepers  (which  the  other  did  not  be- 
lieve) he  would  lend  him  one  of  his  men  as  a  guide. 
Accepting  the  offer,  Morse  went  from  one  stable  to 
another,  rousing  gruff  hostlers  from  their  "  beauty 
sleep,"  but  of  course  with  no  result.  As  a  last  resource 
he  went  to  the  hotel  and  awoke  Mr.  Hall  from  what 
was  at  best  but  a  fitful  and  unsatisfactory  nap. 

"  Well,  your  new  clerk  has  run  away,"  he  said,  when 
the  lawyer  reluctantly  admitted  him  and  sat  down  on 
the  edge  of  the  bed  in  his  pyjamas. 

"  I'm  glad  to  hear  that,"  was  the  nonchalant  reply. 

"  I  hope  he's  robbed  your  safe  of  all  the  valuables  in 
it,"  was  the  spiteful  suggestion. 

"  Thank  you.  I'm  not  so  big  a  fool  as  to  trust  the 
combination  of  a  safe  containing  my  clients'  papers  to  a 
young  man  whose  previous  bad  reputation  is  known  to 
me." 

All  the  regret  Victor  had  felt  at  his  injustice  was  laid 
aside  in  the  presence  of  Morse's  sarcasm. 

11  You  know,  I  presume,  that  it  is  a  legal  offence, 
punished  with  imprisonment,  to  aid  and  abet  an  es- 
caped criminal?"  said  Morse,  coloring. 

"  I  know  in  a  matter  of  that  kind  the  important  thing 
to  procure  is  evidence;  and  unless  you  have  any,  I 
would  remind  you  that  accusation  of  crime  is  in  itself  a 
legal  offence.  Now,  Morse,  you  and  I've  had  trouble 
enough.  So  has  poor  Paul  Gardner.  I  will  execute  to 
you  a  receipt  in  full  of  all  you  ever  owed  me — acknowl- 
edge that  your  trust  was  well  and  honestlv  fulfilled — if 
you  will  let  up  on  that  boy.  Can't  you  do  it — for  the 


254  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

sake  of  his  sister — if  I  am  willing  to  sacrifice  $40, 
ooo?" 

The  man  shook  his  head  sternly. 

"  Before  I  accept  a  receipt  in  full  from  you,"  he  said, 
"  I  will  put  the  lost  property  in  your  hands.  When  T 
have  done  that — on  your  thirtieth  birthday — I  shall  be 
happy  to  settle  our  personal  differences  in  any  way  you 
suggest." 

"  What !  You're  talking  of  a  duel  ?  "  said  Victor, 
with  a  light  laugh. 

"  I  wish  to  God  we  could  have  one,  now,  in  this  room, 
with  knives,"  muttered  Morse,  with  set  teeth.  "  You'll 
have  your  opportunity  some  day.  believe  me !  " 

With  a  most  malevolent  look  he  ground  his  heel  in 
the  carpet  and  left  the  room. 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION.  255 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
"DAT'S  A  GAL,  DE  WORL'  OVER!'* 

JUST  after  dark,  three  days  from  the  time  Jacob 
Gardner  secreted  himself  and  Paul  in  the  barn  at  the 
old  ranch  near  Brayton,  that  young  man  emerged 
from  his  concealment  and  took  his  way  stealthily  to- 
ward the  village.  Creeping  along,  with  a  look-out 
for  "  spotters,"  he  came  at  last  to  the  house  where  Mr. 
Sewall  lived,  and  reconnoitred  for  some  minutes  in 
hopes  to  get  sight  of  that  individual,  without  attract- 
ing the  attention  of  other  inmates  of  the  dwelling.  The 
room  in  which  the  minister  was  usually  to  be  found 
was  dark  and  Jacob  concluded  that  he  had  gone  out. 
The  best  thing  then,  was  to  lie  in  wait  for  him  on  his 
return.  As  the  boy  had  nothing  else  to  do  he  lay 
down  behind  a  hedge  and  bided  his  time. 

An  hour  passed  before  anybody  came  in  sight,  and 
then  it  was  not  Mr.  Sewall,  but  the  Chinese  cook  who 
had  formerly  been  employed  by  the  Gardner  family. 
Recognizing  Ah  Wing,  Jacob  went  up  to  him  boldly. 
He  knew  the  Celestial  could  be  trusted  implicitly. 

"  Hullo,  Wing,"  he  said.  "  Don't  yer  know  me? 
It's  Jakey  Gardner." 

Wing,  who  had  thought  for  a  moment  that  the  ap- 
parition was  a  robber,  and  that  the  little  store  of  monejr 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

which  ne  carried  on  his  person  was  to  be  niched  from 
him,  was  much  relieved.  He  was  cooking  for  a  fam- 
ily in  the  town  and  had  been  making  a  call  on  some 
Chinese  friends  in  the  outskirts.  On  being  asked  if 
be  would  go  and  tell  Mr.  Sewall  he  was  wanted,  being 
careful  not  to  let  any  one  else  know  who  had  sent  him, 
he  informed  Jacob  that  the  minister  had  not  been  in 
Bray  ton  for  some  days  and  that  he  had  gone  "  way 
off  somewhere  on  the  'lailload.'  " 

This  was  a  severe  disappointment  and  for  some  sec- 
onds Jacob  scratched  his  head  puzzled  what  to  do. 

"What  want?"  asked  Ah  Wing. 

"  I  want  him  ter  write  a  letter  ter  me  sister  Else  dat 
I'm  all  right.  She  don't  know  where  I  am." 

"  Want  tell  Miss  Elsie  you  allee  light?  "  said  Wing. 
"  Why  you  no  go  tell  her  you  self?  She  live  next 
stleet,  in  big  housee." 

Jacob  uttered  a  low  exclamation  of  surprise. 

"  You  not  know  Missee  Elsie  live  in  big  housee?" 
said  Wing. 

"  Naw.  How  long's  she  be'n  here  an'  who's  wid 
her?  " 

"  Nobody  with  her,  only  folkee  in  housee.  Want 
show  placee?  Come  'long." 

As  the  boy  followed  the  Chinaman  he  asked  more 
questions  than  Wing  could  answer.  He  had  evident- 
ly heard  nothing  of  the  stirring  events  that  filled 
Jakey's  head.  Before  they  reached  the  residence 
where  Elsie  was  staying,  the  boy  impressed  on  Wing 
the  necessitv  of  telling  no  one  he  had  seen  him,  ex- 
cept Elsie  herself,  and  then  only  in  the  lowest  tones. 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION.  2$? 

The  Chinaman  understood  and  proved  a  most  valu- 
able assistant.  Telling  Jacob  to  "  lair"  for  him  he 
went  around  to  the  kitchen,  where  he  secured  an  ally 
in  the  person  of  the  family's  Chinese  domestic. 
Elsie  was  thus  notified  in  a  way  that  attracted  no  at- 
tention and  came  out  of  the  rear  door  under  Wing's 
pilotage.  The  night  was  quite  dark  and  she  reached 
the  place  where  Jakey  awaited  her  without  being  dis- 
covered. 

"  Good-night,  Wing,"  said  the  boy,  before  begin- 
ning his  explanations  with  his  sister.  "  Be  careful, 
never  tell  dis,  now." 

"  Good-nightee.  Me  nebber  tellee;  hopee  me  die!  " 
said  the  Chinaman,  making  a  significant  move  with 
his  ha«d  across  his  throat. 

"  What  have  you  come  here  for? "  asked  Elsie. 
"  And  why  didn't  you  knock  at  the  door  and  ask  for 
me  instead  of  sending  in  this  mysterious  way?  " 

"  Hain't  yer  heard  nothin'  ?  "  said  the  astonished 
hoy. 

"About  what?" 

"  Oh,  Lord!  Have  I  got  ter  go  over  de  hull  t'ing? 
Well,  den.  close  yer  mout'  an'  lis'en.  An'  if  yer  feel 
like  yellin'  don't  do  it,  onless  yer  wants  to  send  half 
yer  family  ter  de  gallers.' 

It  was  evident  that  something  most  important  was 
to  be  divulged  and  the  girl's  heart  began  to  palpitate. 
She  sat  down  in  the  grass  by  her  brother's  side  and 
\vaited,  with  white  cheeks. 

"  I've  got  ter  tell  yer  a  lot,"  he  began,  "  or  yer  won't 
onnerstan'  de  sittyvation.  Dar's  so  much,  I  don't 


258  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

know  how  ter  begin.  Yer  knew  Paul  was  locked  up 
out  East  fer  stealing  dat  stuff  from  Morse?" 

"  Yes,  the  poor,  dear  fellow — as  honest  a  child  as 
ever  breathed." 

"  Dat  ain't  de  point  jes'  now — whedder  he  was  hon- 
est or  not.  De  point  is  dat  he  skipped  out  and  come 
home  one  night,  weeks  an'  weeks  ago.  Mannie  let 
him  in  an'  give  him  some  grub  an'  den  he  hid  in  de 
barn;  it  was  before  we  left  der  old  place,  yer  see." 

Elsie's  heart  beat  more  rapidly  than  ever.  She  said 
"Yes,  yes!"  in  a  way  that  showed  her  deep  interest 
in  the  history. 

"  De  next  mornin'  Mannie  tole  me  about  it  an'  I 
went  out  to  carry  him  some  t'ings.  She  didn't  tell 
Pa,  of  course,  dat  wouldn't  'a'  ben  sense;  nor  you, 
cause  dere  wa'n't  no  need  o'  bringin'  kids  inter  de 
deal.  Paul  stayed  hid  up  till  Mannie  went  ter  Illinoy, 
ter  find  out  how  hot  de  prison  folks  was  on  his  trail, 
and  den  he  come  out.  He'd  changed  a  lot  sence  he 
used  ter  live  in  dese  parts,  and  I'd  never  knowed  him 
myself  if  Mannie  hadn't  put  me  on.  So  he  walks 
right  up  ter  Mr.  Whiteley  an'  gits  a  job  clerkin'  in  his 
office,  ter  bluff  de  gang,  in  case  dey  got  a  notion  he 
was  out  dis  way." 

The  girl  could  hardly  believe  her  ears. 

"Not  that  clerk  I  used  to  see  there?"  she  gasped. 

"  De  very  same.  Yer  never  got  onter  him,  an'  even 
Pa  didn't  have  a  smidg'  of  s'picion,  dough  he  saw 
him  more'n  wonst.  But  w'en  Morse  come  out  here, 
it  begun  to  look  more  ticklish.  Mannie  got  scairt, 
cos  Morse  swore  he'd  never  let  up  on  him,  an'  last 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION.  259 

week  she  told  Hall  who  his  clerk  -was.  Nice  per- 
ceedin',  I  don't  tink,  an'  him  de  feller  de  stuff  belonged 
ter  dat  was  stole!  " 

Elsie  was  too  anxious  to  hear  the  story  to  the  end 
to  waste  time  with  many  interpolations,  so  she  merely 
said,  "  Go  on,  go  on!  " 

"  Hall,  as  is  nattral  (dis  is  my  t'eory,  see?)  wanted 
ter  git  his  han's  on  Paul  widout  semin'  ter  be  in  the 
t'ing.  So  he  goes  back  to  his  shop  an'  hands  him  a 
big  wad  of  dough — " 

"  Of  what? " 

"Dough;  stuff;  boodle — cash,  yer  know,  an'  tells 
him  ter  light  out.  I  was  lucky  'nuff  ter  meet  him 
jest  as  he  was  makin'  tracks,  an'  he  let  me  do  de 
steerin'.  Hall  spected  o'  course  dat  he'd  leg  it  fer  de 
railroad  an'  git  on  a  train,  where  he  could  telegraph 
to  de  perlice  to  nab  him.  I  says,  '  Don't  yer  do 
nothin'  o'  de  kind.  Come  down  ter  Brayt'n  an'  hide 
in  de  barn  on  de  old  ranch  where  we  uster  live,'  I 
says.  An'  dat's  what  we  did,  an'  we've  been  hid  up 
sense  Sunday.  Whew!  What  a  long  yarn  dis  is!  " 

Elsie,  whose  face  shone  pale  in  the  shadow,  asked 
nervously  if  there  had  been  any  sign  that  the  boys  were 
followed  or  their  hiding  place  suspected. 

"Not  yit;  but  dey'll  git  onter  us  sure,  in  time,  an' 
w'en  dey  does  dey'll  git  a  warmin'  up  dat'll  do  'em 
good.  We  ain't  goin'  ter  be  took  alive  and  before 
dey  gits  our  dead  bodies,  a  few  of  'em'll  bite  de  dust, 
as  Old  Sleuth  says  in  'Dare  Devil  Dick.' " 

The  pride  of  the  boy  at  his  use  of  these  expressions 
was  great,  as  well  as  in  his  knowledge  of  literature. 


26o  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

"Elsie  was  too  much  occupied  in  the  dilemma  which  he 
outlined  even  to  chide  him. 

"  Have  you  had  nothing  to  eat  for  three  days, 
then?  "  she  asked,  with  a  little  feminine  shudder  at  the 
thought. 

"  Nothin'  ter  eat?  Lived  like  fitin'  cocks!  I  had 
a  lot  of  grub  stowed  away  ready  fer  jest  such  a  t'ing 
as  dis.  Oh,  we  ain't  starved,  by  no  means,  but  we're 
runnin'  shy  now.  If  yer  kin  smuggle  us  a  little  fresh 
stuff,  it'll  be  gratefully  received,  as  de  posters  say. 
Leave  it  anywhere  in  de  nayborhood  and  we'll  see  yer 
from  cracks  in  de  barn.  But  I'm  fergittin'  de  main 
t'ing.  I  wan't  yer  ter  write  ter  Mannie  dat  we're 
safe.  Put  it  in  a  nambaggous  way,  as  de  books  call 
it,  so's  noboddy  else  would  git  on  if  de  letter  was 
opened.  Tell  her  as  soon  as  we  t'ink  de  hunt  is  cool- 
in'  Paul'll  strike  out  fer  some  odder  part  o'  de  kentry 
an'  I'll  show  up  home.  Say  we  ain't  de  least  bit  scairt 
an'  dat  Paul's  got  dough  enough  ter  start  a  bakery. 
Won't  it  be  the  best  joke  on  Hall  \v'en  he  finds  Paul's 
got  safe  wid  de  stuff  he  meant  ter  catch  on  him  an' 
swar  he  stole  it  f'om  his  safe?  " 

The  girl  rose  to  her  feet.  Now  that  the  strange 
tale  had  reached  an  end  the  significance  of  her  broth- 
er's insinuations  against  Mr.  Hall  merited  her  atten- 
tion. 

"  You  are  a  wicked  boy  to  talk  in  that  way  about  the 
best  friend  we  ever  had,"  she  said,  chokingly.  "  He 
thinks,  of  course,  that  Paul  stole  his  property — all  he 
had  in  the  world  at  the  time — and  yet  he  has,  you  say, 
.warned  him  to  escape  Morse's  clutches  and  given  him 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  flfc 

money  to  assist  in  his  flight.      It's  the  nobleat  act  I 
ever  heard  of,  and  I  shall  remember  him  for  it  with 

gratitude  all  my  life." 

"  Rats!  "  said  the  boy,  in  derision.  "  Yer  stuck  on 
de  bloke,  dat's  all.  Did  yer  see  de  piece  in  de  Ollu- 
ma  Eagle,  how  he's  goin'  ter  marry  dat  Felton  gal? 
He's  bin  gittin'  yer  in  love  till  yer  sick,  an'  den  he  goes 
back  on  yer,  jest  as  I  knew  he  would,  dat  time  I  frew 
his  money  in  de  road.  I'd  like  ter  fetch  him  one  on 
de  nob  wid  a  crowbar!  " 

The  young  fellowr  clinched  his  fist  as  if  he  wished 
his  enemy  was  near  enough  for  him  to  execute  his 
threat.  But  he  melted  a  little  when  he  saw  the  big 
tears  in  his  sister's  eyes. 

"  Jakey,  I  did  see  the  piece  in  the  paper,  and  I  knew, 
all  about  it  before,  for  Miss  Felton  showed  me  her  en- 
gagement ring.  I  am  not  ashamed  to  tell  you — my 
little  brother— that  I  do  love  Mr.  Hall.  That  is  no 
reason,  though,  why  you  should  abuse  him.  He 
never  said  a  word  to  encourage  me.  I  loved  him  be- 
fore I  realized  how  far  my  feelings  had  carried  me; 
and  when  I  saw  what  I  had  done  I  told  Mannie  and 
she  advised  me  to  come  down  here  and  stay  till  he  had 
closed  up  his  affairs  and  gone  back  where  he  came 
from.  I  didn't  want  him  to  know  how  I  felt,  for  it 
would  only  distress  him.  Now,  my  dear  brother,  won't 
you  try  to  think  a  little  more  justly  of  him,  for  my 
sake?  If  poor  Paul  is  ever  arrested  again,  you  will 
see  how  Mr.  Hall  will  stand  by  him.  He  is  so  good, 
so  pure  and  true!  " 

Refusing  to  assent  to  the  request,  Jacob  went  so 


262  STRANGER  THAN   FICTION, 

far  at  least  as  not  to  combat  the  sentiments  in  words. 
He  said  he  must  be  getting  back  to  his  brother  and 
that  Elsie  ought  to  return  to  the  house  before  her 
absence  was  discovered. 

"  If  yer  kin  bring  anyting  in  de  eatin'  line,  an'  leave 
it  around  de  barn,  it  may  come  handy,"  he  said,  be- 
fore departure. 

"  I'll  manage  it.  I  wish  I  could  creep  over  there 
to-night  and  put  my  arms  around  Paul's  neck  and  tell 
him  how  dearly  I  love  him.  Take  him  a  kiss  for  me, 
Jakey,  won't  you?" 

The  boy  dodged  the  offered  embrace  as  if  it  had  been 
a  blow. 

"  Dat's  all  gals  tink  of!  "  he  said,  with  aversion  in 
his  face.  "  Huggin'  an'  kissin'  and  such  rot!  It 
makes  me  sick  ter  de  stummick.  So  long,  Else!  " 

"  And  you'll  try  to  think  more  kindly  of  Mr.  Hall?  " 

He  whistled  a  low  strain,  with  averted  countenance. 

"  Dat's  a  gal,  de  woiT  over!  "  he  retorted.  "  T'row 
'em  down  an'  dey'll  lick  yer  han's  like  a  dog.  Git  'em 
mashed  on  yer,  an'  den  quit  'em  fer  anodder  petticoat; 
dey'll  cry,  an'  say  yer  too  sweet  ter  live.  If  Hall  keeps 
out  o'  my  way  an'  let's  yer  alone,  I  ain't  got  no  row 
wid  him,  unless  he  tackles  Paul.  But  dat  Morse,  if 
he'n  I  ever  gits  ter  close  quarters,  he'll  t'ink  a  cata- 
mount's lit  on  his  back.  Good-by,  Else.  Don't  fer- 
git  de  grub." 

Jacob  went  back  to  the  barn,  along  the  shadiest  side 
of  the  road,  while  the  sister  reached  her  room  unob- 
served, except  by  the  faithful  Chinaman  who  'had  sat 
tvp  for  her. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  263 

But  along  in  the  wake  of  the  small  brother  crept 
another  figure,  far  behind  and  yet  never  letting  him 
out  of  sight,  till  he  disappeared  in  the  old  building 
which  sheltered  Paul  from  the  pursuing  minions  of  the 
law. 


264  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

AN  ASSAULT  ON  THE  OLD  BARN. 

ELSIE  slept  little  that  night.  She  rose  early  in  the 
morning  and  wrote  to  Marian,  letting  her  know  in  a 
guarded  manner  that  Paul  and  Jacob  had  been  heard 
of,  and  that,  so  far  as  they  knew,  the  police  were  not 
informed  of  their  whereabouts.  Then  she  began  to 
study  up  some  plan  to  get  the  refreshments  that  Jakey 
had  asked  for  to  the  imprisoned  boys.  After  long 
thought  she  hit  upon  a  scheme. 

She  went  over  to  one  of  the  neighbor's  houses,  where 
there  was  a  girl  of  about  her  own  age,  and  asked  her 
how  she  would  like  to  spend  the  clay  in  picnicking. 
The  girl  was  much  pleased  with  the  idea  and  named 
half  a  dozen  others  of  her  acquaintances  that  she 
thought  would  be  glad  to  join.  In  an  hour  the  party 
was  arranged  and  by  nine  o'clock  the  little  procession 
took  up  its  way  to  the  old  ranch  of  the  Gardners,  which 
Elsie  named  as  the  pleasantest  place  to  hold  it. 

"  There's  a  barn  there  that's  not  used  now,"  she  said, 
"  and  we  can  have  lots  of  fun.  If  a  rain  comes  up  we 
shall  be  sheltered,  too." 

She  urged  each  member  of  the  party  to  bring  a  lib- 
eral supply  of  edibles,  declaring  they  would  be 
'  starved  to  death '  by  noontime.  Each  girl  carried, 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  265 

therefore,  a  large  basket,  and  the  articles  included  be- 
sides the  food  some  bottles  of  ginger-ale,  and  a  quan- 
tity of  lemons  and  sugar.  Elsie  meant  to  leave  all  she 
could  for  her  brothers  at  the  end  of  the  feast. 

On  the  way  a  buggy,  containing  two  men,  passed 
them.  She  overheard  words  from  one  of  the  pair  that 
startled  her  greatly. 

"  He's  here,  I  tell  you.  I  think  there's  a  gang  to- 
gether, and  it'll  take  a  good-sized  posse  to  handle 
them.  As  soon  as  we  get  to  Olluma  I'm  going  to  get 
Whiteley  to  help  us  raise  a  crowd.  The  reward  of 
$500  is  as  good  as  ours  already." 

To  the  suspicious  mind  of  the  young  woman  this 
referred  without  doubt  to  her  brother  and  she  wanted 
more  than  ever  to  get  into  communication  with  Paul. 
As  it  would  take  the  buggy  till  the  middle  of  the  after- 
noon to  reach  Olluma,  and  a  number  of  hours  for  the 
occupants  to  return  with  the  people  they  were  to  get, 
there  was  fortunately  plenty  of  time.  When  the  picnic 
was  over  she  must  find  some  way  to  carry  the  warning 
she  had  luckily  obtained. 

Cunning  being  necessary  in  the  game  she  was  play- 
ing, Elsie  walked  boldly  up  to  the  ranch  house  and 
greeted  a  woman  who  came  to  the  door. 

"  My  name  is  Gardner,"  she  said,  smiling,  "and  I 
used  to  live  here.  I  want  to  know  if  you'll  let  these 
friends  of  mine  and  me  use  the  barn  for  a  picnic 
We'll  be  careful  not  to  hurt  anything." 

"  Why,  of  course.  Use  anything  you  want.  I'm 
afraid  you'll  find  it  pretty  dusty  in  there,  though.  No- 
body's used  it  since  we  came  here." 


266  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Elsie.  "  Will  you  let  me  have 
the  key?" 

She  knew  perfectly  well  there  was  no  lock  on  the 
rear  door,  but  she  meant  to  disarm  suspicion.  When 
the  woman  told  her  how  to  enter,  she  thanked  her 
again  and,  joined  by  the  girls,  went  to  the  barn.  She 
entered  first,  so  that  her  familiar  voice  would  be  heard 
by  Jacob  in  time  for  him  to  hide,  should  he  be  in  an 
exposed  position,  but  as  the  girls  had  been  singing 
on  their  way  from  the  house  he  was  sure  to  know  of 
their  presence  before  that  time. 

"  Come  in!  "  she  called.  How  nice  it  seems  to  be 
in  the  dear  old  place!  Olluma  is  all  right,  but  there's 
something  fascinating  about  the  country,  after  all." 

"  I  shouldn't  think  you'd  know  the  ranch,"  re- 
marked one  of  the  others,  "  with  the  new  houses  that 
are  being  built  on  the  other  side  and  the  heaps  of  dirt 
the  miners  have  thrown  out.  It  was  a  pity  to  spoil 
such  a  lovely  place." 

One  of  the  others  said  wisely  that  gold  was  better 
than  orange  trees  or  alfalfa,  and  to  this  Elsie  laughed 
an  agreement.  The  lunch-baskets  were  put  away  and 
the  girls  went  out  to  take  a  walk  over  the  premises. 

"  I  hope  nobody'll  come  and  steal  our  stuff,"  said 
one.  "  We  should  be  in  a  nice  pickle,  come  noon,  if 
our  baskets  were  found  empty." 

"  I  don't  think  anybody  around  Brayton  would  be 
so  mean,"  said  Elsie.  "  When  we  get  through,  though, 
if  there's  anything  left,  I  hope  some  poor  person  will 
happen  along,  that  we  can  give  it  to.  One  of  the 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION.  267 

greatest  pleasures  in  life  is  giving  away  things  you 
don't  want  yourself." 

This  brought  a  hearty  laugh  from  all  present  and 
the  girls  sauntered  off,  with  their  arms  around  each 
other's  waists. 

The  time  till  noon  sped  swiftly.  The  foreman  of 
the  mine  reoognized  Elsie,  for  one  thing,  and  invited 
them  all  to  inspect  the  work  that  was  being  done.  They 
had  a  thousand  questions  to  ask  about  the  business, 
which  he  answered  with  the  pride  of  superior  knowl- 
edge. They  went  back  after  that  to  the  foothills  and 
down  into  an  arroyo,  picking  and  eating  some  oranges 
found  on  the  trees  that  were  still  undestroyed. 

It  was  one  o'clock  when  they  reached  the  barn  again 
and  though  their  appetites  had  been  somewhat  lessened 
by  the  fruit,  of  which  Elsie  had  made  them  eat  all  she 
could,  they  spread  out  the  food  they  had  brought  and, 
seated  in  a  circle,  enjoyed  the  meal  to  the  utmost. 

This  ended,  they  voted  themselves  too  tired  to  walk 
any  more  and,  lying  back  in  comfortable  positions, 
their  skirts  gathered  up  for  the  sake  of  cleanliness, 
they  told  stories  and  sang  songs  till  it  was  time  to  go 
home. 

"  There's  an  awful  lot  left,"  remarked  one  girl,  as 
they  packed  away  the  napkins,  glasses,  spoons  and 
forks.  "  I'm  afraid  your  '  poor  person  '  won't  come 
along,  Miss  Gardner." 

"  Never  mind,  it'll  be  a  treat  for  the  rats!  "  said  Elsie. 
Then  an  idea  struck  her  and  she  uttered  a  scream,  at 
the  same  time  starting  as  if  in  fright.  "  Gracious, 
there's  a  big  one  now!  Run,  girls,  run!" 


268  STRANGER  THAN"  FICTION. 

With  screams  that  could  hardly  have  been  excelled 
in  volume  had  a  tiger  fresh  from  the  jungle  been  dis- 
covered, the  girls  went,  helter-skelter,  out  of  the  door. 
Elsie  climbed  a  ladder  that  connected  with  the  hay- 
mow, instead,  acting  as  if  more  scared  than  any  of  the 
others.  When  she  knew  none  of  her  friends  could 
hear  she  said  in  a  stage  \vhrsper,  "  Paul !  "  and  a  faint 
voice  replied. 

:'  The  officers  are  coming  after  you.  Get  out  to- 
night early  or  they  will  be  here.  There's  plenty  of 
food  downstairs.  Good-by,  dear,  and  God  bless  you!  " 

She  clung  to  the  ladder,  descending  slowly,  and 
the  girls,  who  had  recovered  something  of  their  cour- 
age, came  and  peeped  in  at  the  door,  laughing  at  her. 

"  Are  you  sure  it's  gone?  "  she  asked  in  mock  terror. 
"  Oh,  look  carefully  before  I  step  foot  on  the  floor.  I 
should  drop  dead  if  it  ran  after  me!" 

Two  of  the  older  girls  opened  the  barn-door  wide 
and  declared  there  \vas  nothing  to  be  seen  of  the  terri- 
ble rodent.  Elsie  thereupon  jumped  from  the  ladder's 
third  round  and,  after  falling  in  her  haste,  reached  the 
outside  trembling. 

Between  serious  talks  about  rats  they  had  seen  and 
heard  of,  and  occasional  laughs  at  the  danger  they  had 
escaped,  the  party  wandered  homeward  and  there  ouf 
interest  in  them  ceases.  It  may  please  the  reader, 
however,  to  know  that  within  five  minutes  of  their  dis- 
appearance two  hungry  boys  were  feasting  on  prime 
sandwiches,  jelly-roll,  tarts  and  ginger-ale  and  at  the 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

same  time  discussing  the  information  conveyed  by  El- 
sie's ingenious  stratagem. 

Mr.  Sewall  returned  from  his  journey  toward  the 
evening  of  that  day,  having  been  to  Stromberg  on 
what  he  was  convinced  was  a  useless  errand.  He  had 
evolved  a  theory,  .based  on  what  he  had  heard  of  the 
mysterious  robbery  of  the  bonds  from  Mr.  Morse's 
safe,  that  Cyrus  Keith  might  know  .more  about  the 
matter  than  he  was  willing  to  admit.  He  knew  that 
Keith  was  a  warm  partisan  of  Victor  Hall's,  and  held 
his  opinion  that  the  securities  were  anything  but  safe 
for  their  prospective  owner  in  Morse's  hands.  He 
knew  also  that  Keith  had  been  in  temporary  possession 
of  them  only  a  few  days  before  they  were  missed  and 
thought  it  possible  that,  in  his  zeal  to  protect  the  in- 
terests of  his  young  friend,  he  had  taken  illegal  cus- 
tody of  them  at  that  time.  It  was  a  rather  queer 
guess,  it  must  be  admitted,  but  nothing  but  guesses 
seemed  of  much  use  in  a  case  so  shrouded  in  obscurity. 
The  theory,  if  true,  ruined  the  character  of  a  highly 
respected  citizen  and  member  of  the  bar — a  man 
trusted  to  an  unusual  extent  by  his  fellows  and  who 
had  never  been  accused  of  unfaithfulness  in  any  rela- 
tion of  life. 

But  a  brief  interview  with  Mr.  Keith  convinced  the 
minister  that  he  was  on  the  wrong  track.  The  anxiety 
over  the  matter  which  the  lawyer  showed  was  wholly 
incompatible,  in  the  mind  of  Mr.  Sewall,  with  such  a 
procedure  as  he  had  mentally  charged  him  with.  After 
going  over  carefully  every  phase  of  the  case  that  was 


27O  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

known  -to  Mr.  Keith,  the  minister  came  to  the  con- 
clusion that  his  talents  did  not  lie  in  the  line  of  private 
detecting.  He  had  to  admit  to  himself  that  a  wild 
goose  chase  was  the  only  thing  comparable  to  his  er- 
rand. 

Elsie  returned  from  her  picnic  and  found  him  wait- 
ing for  her  at  the  house  where  she  boarded.  From  her 
he  learned  for  the  first  time  of  Paul's  flight,  (not  hav- 
ing been  to  Olluma  at  all,  but  having  left  his  train  at  a 
small  station  nearer  Rrayton).  He  was  much  troubled 
at  the  news,  as  he  felt  that  the  boy  was  in  great  danger 
of  being  apprehended,  now  that  his  description  was 
better  known  and  the  fact  that  he  was  in  that  part  of 
California  could.be  telegraphed  to  all  adjacent  points. 
Of  course  Elsie  kept  to  herself  the  fact  that  her  broth- 
ers were  concealed  in  the  barn  at  the  ranch,  feeling 
that  this  was  a  secret  it  could  do  no  possible  good  to 
reveal  even  to  this  trusted  friend. 

In  the  middle  of  the  night  a  posse  of  men,  to  the 
number  of  fifteen,  alighted  from  a  wagon  drawn  by  four 
horses,  at  a  point  a  little  distant  from  the  Gardner 
homestead.  It  was  headed  by  the  sheriff  of  the  county, 
a  man  named  Stocker,  and  included  Mr.  Morse,  Mr. 
Whiteley  and  two  of  the  regular  police  of  Olluma. 
The  chief  had  declined  to  make  the  trip,  having  aban- 
doned all  hope  of  securing  the  reward,  in  case  of  suc- 
cess, as  the  sheriff  was  his  ranking  official  in  an  out- 
lying section  like  this.  After  a  hurried  consultation, 
Mr.  Stocker  directed  his  following  how  to  move,  and 
they  proceeded  stealthily  in  four  directions,  so  as  to 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  2/1 

descend  on  the  "  desperadoes  "  in  a  manner  that  would 
cut  off  all  chance  of  escape. 

When  the  place  was  in  this  way  surrounded  the  sher- 
iff boldly  opened  the  rear  door,  and  cried  out  in  a  dis- 
tinct voice,  "  Paul  Gardner,  I  call  on  you  to  surrender, 
in  the  name  of  the  law.  I  have  a  large  force  who  guard 
this  barn  on  every  side.  Resistance  on  your  part  is 
simple  folly.  We  are  all  arm'ed  and  if  you  compel  us 
to  do  so  shall  use  violent  means.  Come  down  like  a 
sensible  fellow  a-nd  make  the  best  of  it." 

The  answer  he  received  was  sufficiently  distinct  to  be 
heard  and  understood,  not  only  by  himself,  but  by  the 
others.  A  rifle  ball  whistled  in  dangerous  proximity 
to  his  head.  This  was  so  unexpected  that  the  official 
beat  a  hasty  retreat  and  was  for  some  minutes  in  doubt 
what  to  do. 

Mr.  Whiteley  volunteered  at  last  to  try  the  effect  of 
his  own  persuasion.  Taking  up  a  position  at  a  corner 
of  the  barn,  where  he  thought  himself  somewhat  safer 
than  in  the  open,  he  addressed  the  occupant  of  the 
structure: 

"  Listen,  Harvey.  It  is  I,  Mr.  Whiteley.  I  have 
come  with  the  sheriff  to  see  that  you  are  treated  with 
consideration.  I  am  sorry,  but  he  has  a  warrant  for 
you  and  nothing  can  prevent  your  arrest.  Sur- 
render and  I  will  do  all  I  can  to  procure  your  re- 
lease afterwards.  But  if  you  resist  with  unlawful 
arms  an  officer  of  the  State,  it  is  certain  to  go  hard 
with  you.  Nothing  less  than  a  life  sentence  would 
follow,  I  fear,  any  injury  you  might  do  in  this  way." 

Another  loud  report  conveyed  the  only  answer  to 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTOOIf 

this  speech,  and  a  splinter  torn  out  of  a  "board  showed 

where  the  ball  had  taken  effect. 

Thus  the  argument  went  on,  being  joined  in,  from 
time  to  time,  by  various  others  in  the  party,  including 
even  Morse,  who  conjured  with  the  name  of  the  sisters 
the  young  man  was  supposed  to  hold  dear. 

No  verbal  response  had  been  obtained  when  an  hour 
had  gone  by.  People  from  the  adjacent  village  be- 
gan to  appear,  attracted  by  the  sound  of  the  firing. 
Among  those  who  came  were  Mr.  Sewall  and  Elsie, 
whose  distress  at  the  conditions  they  found  was  great. 
The  sheriff,  on  learning  of  the  relationship  of  the  young 
woman  to  the  man  wanted,  talked  with  her  at  some 
length  in  reference  to  the  certain  £ate  that  lay  in  store 
for  Paul  if  he  kept  up  his  present  tactics,  Quite  con- 
vinced that  she  had  a  duty  to  perform  in  adding  her 
warning  to  the  others  Elsie  finally  joined  her  trembling 
voice  to  theirs. 

"  Paul/'  she  called,  "  you  won't  shoot  me,  I  know, 
your  sister,  and  you  won't  believe  I  would  offer  any 
but  the  best  advice.  It's  hard  to  be  pursued  for  a 
crime  of  which  you  are  innocent,  but  they  are  too 
strong.  If  you  love  me,  Paul,  run  no  more  risk.  You 
will  certainly  be  killed  if  you  attempt  it." 

Dead  silence  followed  the  plaintive  request.  The 
sheriff  whispered  to  Mr.  Sewall  to  take  the  ladies  out  of 
harm's  reach,  as  he  was  going  to  order  a  rush  and  cap- 
ture the  man  at  any  cost.  Sobbing  as  if  her  heart  was 
broken,  Elsie  suffered  herself  to  be  led  off  with  the 
others.  There  was  nothing  more  that  she  could  do. 
They  were  going-  to  murder  her  darling  brother,  after 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  273 

all  the  wrong  that  had  been  done  him.     And  she  was 

helpless  to  prevent  the  outrage. 

Stocker  found  that  only  six  of  his  entire  party  were 
willing  to  follow  him  into  the  barn,  and  muttering  a 
curse  at  the  cowardice  of  the  others,  he  arranged  his 
plans. 

"  Follow  me,  rough  and  -tumble,"  he  said.  "  If  you 
see  a  head  inside  there  shoot  it  full  of  lead  without  a 
second's  hesitation.  We  can't  mince  matters  with  a 
crowd  like  that.  I've  no  doubt  there  are  half  a  dozen 
of  them,  but  we  got  six  shots  apiece  in  our  re- 
volvers and  after  one  round  it'll  all  be  over.  No 
flinching  now.  Are  you  ready?  " 

They  said  they  were,  and  uttering  in  a  whisper  the 
single  word,  "Now!"  the  assault  began.  In  two 
seconds  the  sheriff  and  his  gallant  crew  were  inside  the 
barn,  while  the  less  courageous  ones  waited  to  pick  off 
any  man  that  started  to  escape. 

Then  the  air  was  filled  with  the  noise  of  firearms  as 
if  a  miniature  battle  was  in  progress. 


274  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

SOME  NEWSPAPER  "  SCOOPS." 

DURING  those  days  Victor  Hall's  uneasiness  of  mind 
was  constantly  increasing.  The  fact  of  Paul  Gardner's 
disappearance  from  Olluma  was  public  property  on  the 
day  after  he  had  advised  him  to  go.  Everybody  seemed 
simultaneously  to  have  learned  his  identity  and  the 
story  of  his  crime  and  punishment.  The  local  paper 
found  the  affair  a  mine  of  great  value  and  the  circula- 
tion doubled  (it  was  three  hundred  copies  before).  A 
reporter  was  sent  over  from  Los  Angeles,  and  two  from 
San  Francisco,  the  latter  looking  with  professional 
hauteur  upon  the  former  one,  and  their  feeling  being 
cordially  reciprocated. 

In  the  race  for  news  the  Hexameter  came  out  ahead, 
by  at  least  a  length.  A  portrait  that  had  at  some  pre- 
vious time  done  duty  in  that  office  under  another  name 
was  dusted  off  and  labelled  "  Darius  Gardner,"  bearing 
as  much  resemblance  to  that  individual  as  it  did  to  the 
Sultan  of  Turkey.  A  fancy  sketch  of  a  villainous-ap- 
pearing fellow,  made  "  on  the  spot "  by  an  artist  who 
did  not  leave  the  vicinity  of  the  Golden  Gate,  was  made 
to  do  duty  for  "  Herbert  Brown ;  "  and  an  old  cut  of 
some  millionaire's  residence  at  Seattle  was  used  to  rep- 
resent the  modest  home  of  the  family  at  Olluma. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  275 

An  hour  and  a  half  after  the  sheriff  and  his  posse 
made  their  flying  entrance  to  the  barn  at  Brayton  a 
spirited  picture  of  the  scene  was  being  sold  with  a  full 
page  of  lively  letter  press  all  the  way  from  the  Ferry 
house  to  the  Panhandle.  This  was  a  "  scoop  "  which 
called  forth  three  columns  of  editorial  boasting  and 
filled  all  rival  sheets  with  the  utmost  envy.  The  Pall 
and  the  Comical  each  discharged  four  of  their  old- 
est and  best  men,  for  having  allowed  the  Hexameter  to 
"beat"  them;  and  to  avoid  the  possibility  of  that  dis- 
grace happening  again  an  immense  drawing  of  Paul's 
final  capture  was  prepared  in  advance  at  each  of  these 
offices,  showing  him  with  a  revolver  in  both  hands  and 
a  bandana  tied  in  rakish  fashion  around  a  head  from 
which  blood  was  streaming;  the  line  "  Brought  to  Bay 
at  Last  "  being  set  in  large  type,  with  a  half  column  of 
other  heads,  all  in  triple  width,  descriptive  of  the  mad 
and  profligate  life  which  he  had  never  led.  On  receipt 
of  the  slightest  intimation  that  the  criminal  was  likely 
to  be  caught,  the  news  rooms  had  orders  to  "  run  this  " 
and  to  give  directions  to  have  the  presses  worked  at  full 
speed.  Even  the  portraits  of  "  Little  Egypt "  were  to 
be  shelved  for  the  time  being  and  all  references  to  Col- 
lis  P.  Huntington  to  be  set  in  single  leads. 

Victor  Hall,  when  the  first  news  arrived,  hoped  anx- 
iously that  some  miracle  would  yet  intervene  to  enable 
Paul  to  escape  his  enemies.  He  did  not  caJI  on  Marian, 
as  nothing  could  be  gained  by  an  interview  with  the 
young  woman,  and  he  did  not  know  where  to  find  Elsie. 
Mr.  Gardner  called  for  his  customary  tip  and  was 
greeted  with  a  positive  refusal,  couched  in  uncompli- 


•276  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

tnentary  terms  which  sent  him  away  vowing  vengeance. 
Whiteley  had  a  quarrel  with  his  partner  which  ended 
in  an  announcement  by  the  latter  that  he  would  dis- 
solve their  connection  as  soon  as  the  proper  papers 
could  be  prepared.  Morse  did  not  trouble  him  with 
any  calls,  but  they  met  once  or  twice  in  the  street  or 
at  the  hotel  and  exchanged  sour  glances. 

Victor  learned  to  some  extent  the  efforts  that  Morse 
was  making  to  bring  Paul  to  "justice"  and  wished 
heartily  that  there  was  some  way  he  could  aid  the  fugi- 
tive. Thus  the  days  passed  until  the  morning  after  the 
events  described  in  the  last  chapter,  when  he  was 
awakened  by  a  hubbub  in  the  street  that  told  him  some- 
thing unusual  had  occurred.  While  dressing  he  heard 
a  confused  number  of  cries  which  convinced  him  that 
the  worst  had  happened  and  he  descended  at  last  to  the 
ground  floor  with  a  heavy  heart. 

The  sheriff  and  his  posse  had  returned  by  wagon 
from  Brayton  and  were  surrounded  by  the  biggest 
crowd  ever  seen  in  the  local  streets.  As  Hall  ap- 
proached, Mr.  Stocker  mounted  a  barrel  that  somebody 
rolled  out  of  a  yard  for  the  purpose  and  addressed  his 
"  constituents :  " 

"  As  there  seems  to  be  a  general  demand,"  he  said, 
"  for  a  statement  of  what  we  have  accomplished,  I  yield 
to  the  desires  of  my  friends.  ('Good!'  and  'Go 
on!')  Last  night,  learning  that  the  robber  of  Mr. 
Morse's  safe,  who  had  since  escaped  from  the  prison  in 
Illinois,  was  hidden  in  a  barn  near  the  village  of  Bray- 
ton,  I  took  a  force  of  citizens,  sworn  in  as  special  offi- 
cers, and  drove  there.  We  surrounded  the  barn  and 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  277 

began  to  parley  with  the  occupant,  who  replied  by 
firing  at  us  with  rifles.  Having  exhausted  all  hope  of 
capturing  him  in  a  peaceful  way  I  took  six  of  my  best 
men  and  made  a  rush  for  the  interior.  Bullets  flew 
around  our  heads  and  we  returned  the  fire,  emptying  all 
six  chambers  of  each  of  our  revolvers.  Finally  we 
reached  the  haymow  and  I  saw " 

("  The  robber!  Hurrah!  "  yelled  fifty  voices,  while 
the  rest  stood  speechless  at  the  bravery  of  their  towns- 
men.) 

"I  saw  a  form.  Throwing  myself  upon  it  I  soon, 
with  the  aid  of  the  others,  had  a  pair  of  twisters  on  his 
wrists.  Then  we  searched  the  place  thoroughly,  leav- 
ing the  guard  outside  to  prevent  any  escape,  and 
found " 

("  Hurry  up !    Don't  spin  it  out  so  long!  ") 

"  That  the  man  we  sought  was  not  there.  He  had 
evidently  got  word  in  some  way  that  we  were  coming1 
and  fled  before  our  arrival." 

The  sheriff  wiped  his  face  and  the  crowd  set  up  a  yell 
of  derision. 

"  Who  did  yer  catch,  then  ?  "  asked  some  one. 

"  We  caught  a  brother  of  the  escaped  prisoner,  who 
had  two  guns  and  a  pistol,  Jacob  Gardner  of  this  town. 
He  is  now  safe  in  the  lock-up." 

All  of  those  present  knew  the  little  chap  and,  when 
they  realized  what  a  small  mouse  the  mountain  had 
brought  forth,  sarcastic  remarks  flew  from  many 
mouths.  The  sheriff,  who  had  been  overcome  with  his 
temporary  importance,  got  off  the  barrel  and  retired 
in  no  good  humor.  The  reporter  of  the  local  paper, 


278  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION". 

who  had  been  frozen  out  of  the  "  combination,"  and 
had  not  known  of  the  intended  visit  to  Brayton, 
laughed  in  glee  at  his  rivals,  who  had  participated  in 
the  inglorious  exploit.  In  the  meantime  brief  wires 
had  been  filed  for  San  Francisco  at  a  wayside  office  and 
three  artists  of  that  city  were  at  work  on  imaginary 
portraits  of  Jakey,  picturing  him  as  a  villain  of  the 
deepest  dye,  about  six  feet  four  inches  in  height  and 
broad  in  proportion. 

Mr.  Hall  went  from  the  scene  in  front  of  the  hotel 
directly  to  the  lock-up,  where  the  chief  of  police  per- 
mitted him  to  see  Master  Jacob.  The  small  boy  was 
far  from  downcast  at  his  incarceration,  being  in  fact 
quite  proud  of  his  importance.  He  even  forgot  his  old 
antipathy  in  his  anxiety  to  relate  his  version  of  the 
affair  at  the  ranch  to  somebody. 

'  'Twas  de  funniest'  t'ing  yer  ever  seed,"  he  began, 
convulsed  with  laughter.  "  Paul  was  gone  hours  an' 
hours  afore  de  sheriff  come,  an'  I  jes  hung  on  dere  ter 
give  him  ev'ry  minnit  I  could  ter  git  outer  de  way.  Old 
Stocker  put  his  head  in  de  door  an'  I  split  off  a  piece  of 
board  right  side  o'  his  ear.  Lordy!  how  he  jumped! 
I  had  dat  rifle  o'  yourn,  an'  my  shotgun  an*  a  plstel,  wid 
enough  ammunition  fer  de  Cubin  army.  Den  old 
Whiteley,he  t'oughthe'd  have  more  influens,  an'  he  got 
aroun'  de  corner  whar  he  t'ought  he  could  shoot  his 
mout'  off  an'  be  safe,  but  I  give  him  a  mild  reminder  an* 
he  \vas  t'rough.  One  arter  another  inoder,  t'ree  or 
four  of  de  crowd  tried  de  same  game  an'  got  'nougfa  of 
it.  Den  Else,  she  comes  an'  plays  de  baby  act, 
but " 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION.  279 

"  Elsie !  How  did  she  get  there  ?  "  cried  Mr.  Hall, 
much  startled. 

"  Come  over  from  Jones's,  where  she's  stayin',  but 
you  didn't  know  dat,  o'  co'se.  Well,  she  hollers  out, 
half  bawlin',  '  I'm  yer  sister,  Paul,  an'  I  knows  yer  in- 
nercent,  but  yer'd  better  give  in; '  an'  I  didn't  shoot  dat 
time,  'cause  I  was  loadin'  up  fer  de  gang  I  knowed  was 
comin'  inside.  All  to  wonst  I  seed  Stacker's  mug  an' 
den  de  hull  caboodle  on  'em.  I  fired  both  guns  an'  de 
pistel,  ev'ry  blamed  ca'tridge,  but  I  didn't  hit  nobody. 
Dey  all  fired  at  me,  too,  an'  not  one  scratched  me  any- 
wheres. It  was  an  orful  waste  o'  good  powder.  I 
didn't  care  to  hold  'em  off  any  longer,  fer  Paul  had 
got  all  de  start  he'd  need,  so  I  frew  up  my  han's  an' 
Stocker  put  de  wristers  on.  Wot  does  de  folks  in  town 
say?  I'll  git  my  name  in  the  papers  all  right,  won't 
I  ?" 

There  was  no  evidence  that  Jacob  considered  the  af- 
fair in  which  he  had  participated  anything  more  than 
an  amusing  incident  and  Mr.  Hall  thought  it  his  duty 
to  caution  him  against  talking  so  freely  to  any  one  else. 
He  told  him  he  had  broken  the  law  and  might  have 
difficulty  in  escaping  a  term  in  jail.  His  wisest  course 
was  to  refuse  to  speak  till  he  had  consulted  a  lawyer 
and  decided  on  his  defence. 

"  Does  yer  t'ink  dey'll  give  me  a  real  jail  sentence?  " 
replied  the  boy,  in  a  spasm  of  joy.  "  Will  dey  put  me 
an'  Paul  in  tergedder?  Dat  would  be  ga-lorious!  " 

"  Paul,  if  captured,  would  have  to  go  back  to  Illinois, 
and  you  would  do  your  time  here  in  California,"  said 
Hall.  "  That  doesn't  seem  so  attractive,  does  it  ? 


280  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

You'd  best  take  my  advice,  to  refuse  to  speak.  A  good 
lawyer  may  get  you  off  easy,  on  account  of  your  youth, 
if  you  don't  spoil  the  case." 

When  Mr.  Hall  left  he  secured  a  promise  from  Jacob 
to  abide  by  his  advice  and  agreed  to  send  to  him  a 
young  attorney  of  the  town,  named  Evans,  who  could 
be  trusted  with  at  least  the  initial  aspects  of  his  case. 
Hall  wanted  very  much  to  see  Marian,  but  he  would  not 
run  the  risk  of  meeting  Morse.  He  returned  to  his 
office,  therefore,  and  worked  on  some  legal  papers. 
When  lunch  was  ready  and  he  was  about  to  go  to  the 
hotel,  remembering  suddenly  that  he  had  forgotten  to 
eat  any  breakfast,  Mr.  Sewrall  appeared. 

The  minister  looked  grave.  He  was  deeply  impressed 
by  the  extraordinary  occurrences  of  the  preceding 
twenty  hours  and  wanted  to  confer  with  the  lawyer 
about  them.  Accepting  an  invitation  to  take  his  lunch 
with  Victor  he  accompanied  him  to  his  chamber,  where 
by  special  order  the  meal  was  served.  The  dining  room 
had  too  many  ears  for  what  he  wished  to  say. 

"  It's  a  terrible  thing,"  he  remarked,  when  the  door 
was  closed  behind  them.  "  That  reckless  boy,  Jacob, 
came  very  near  making  a  murderer  of  himself  last 
night.  His  brother  is  again  fleeing  from  his  pursuers. 
The  elder  sister  is  plunged  in  grief,  and  the  younger 
one  as  unhappy  as  I  can  conceive  it  possible  for  a  girl 
to  be." 

"  You  know  where  she  is,  then?  "  said  Hall. 

"  Yes.  She  went  in  my  charge  to  the  barn  when  the 
trouble  occurred  and  I  took  her  back  to  her  friends, 
when  her  efforts  proved  of  no  avail.  They  are  caring 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  28  r 

for  her  now  with  all  the  tenderness  imaginable,  but  she 
has  had  too  niudi  to  bear  for  one  so  sensitive  and 
young.  Mr.  Hall,  have  you  ever  thought  of  Elsie 
Gardner  other  than  as  a  friend  ?  " 

The  question  was  asked  in  such  a  solemn  way  that 
the  lawyer  realized  the  meaning  it  must  have.  With 
the  diplomacy  of  his  profession  he  mastered  himself  and 
only  answered,  "  Why  ?  " 

"  She  is  a  beautiful  little  lady — a  pearl  beyond  price 
— a  jewel  any  gentleman  might  be  happy  and  proud  to 
wear  for  his  own." 

"  Mr.  Sewall !    You  love  her !  " 

The  minister  shook  his  head  decidedly. 

"  No.  But,  if  you  will  excuse  my  candor,  I  wonder 
that  she  never  affected  you  with  that  passion,  thrown  in 
her  company  as  you  have  been." 

The  door  opened  and  the  waiter  'brought  in  the  table 
cloth  and  other  preliminaries  of  the  meal  that  was  being 
prepared.  His  advent  was  a  real  relief  to  Mr.  Hall, 
for  it  enabled  him  to  master  his  emotions  to  a  certain 
degree. 

When  they  were  again  alone  he  faced  Mr.  Sewall 
with  a  white  countenance. 

"  I  don't  know  that  I  ought  to  say  this,"  he  told  him  ; 
"  but  I  care  more  for  Elsie  Gardner  than  for  anything 
else  on  earth !  " 

"  And  yet  you  are  going  to  marry  Gertrude  Fel- 
ton!" 

"  I  am  not  sure — I  am  struggling  now — I  have  been 
for  a  long  time — with  that  question." 


282  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

The  minister  was  evidently  nonplussed.  He  sat  for 
some  time  in  silence. 

"  Have  you  ever  spoken  to  Elsie  of  your  love  ?  "  he 
asked. 

"  Never." 

"  Then  she  has  not  refused  to  listen  to  it." 

Mr.  Hall  shook  his  head,  pressing  his  hands  ner- 
vously together. 

"  Won't  you  tell  me  why?  " 

"  I  will  give  you  one  reason,  and  then,  I  beg  you,  let 
us  drop  the  subject.  She  is  in  love  with  another  man." 

"  I  assure  you  that  is  a  mistake !  "  cried  the  minister. 

"  It  is  true.  Her  father  told  me  so.  Now  let  us  talk 
of  the  brothers.  Is  there  anything  we  can  do  to  aid 
Paul  ?  We  must  try  our  best  to  keep  him  again  from 
the  clutches  of  the  law.  If  he  is  apprehended  we  must 
move  Heaven  and  earth  to  secure  his  freedom.  I  have 
already  seen  Jakey  at  the  police  station  and  have  sent 
Mr.  Evans  to  confer  with  him.  I  think,  If  the  lawyer 
plays  his  points  right,  considering  the  extreme  youth 
of  the  boy,  he  can  escape  sentence.  Now,  Mr.  Sewall, 
there  is  something  else  that  I  wish  you  to  hear  and  in 
which  you  can  do  me  a  service." 

"  Anything  that  lies  in  my  power." 

"  I  have  not  felt  easy  over  the  large  profits  I  have 
made  from  the  mine  on  the  Gardner  place.  Although  I 
was  innocent  of  the  scheme  by  which  it  was  taken  from 
them,  I  wish  to  restore  it  to  their  possession.  I  mean 
to  estimate  the  amount  of  money  I  have  personally  had 
from  it  and  turn  that  over,  with  my  half  of  the  stock, 
to  the  children.  Will  you  accept  this  trust  for  me?  " 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  283 

The  minister  was  much  surprised.  He  said  a  thing 
of  this  kind  should  be  considered  with  great  care.  Be- 
sides, in  turning  over  all  his  share  of  the  stock,  Mr. 
Hall  would  give  away,  not  only  what  he  might  think 
Belonged  to  the  Gardner  place  but  his  prevTous  invest- 
ment with  it. 

"  That  is  exactly  what  I  shall  do,"  said  Victor,  sigh- 
ing. "  I  am  going  East  to  live  and  I  want  them  to  have 
it  all.  Then  when  Elsie — he  paused,  drawing  a  long 
breath — marries,  she  will  have  a  dowry  worthy  of  her 
goodness  and  beauty.  Say  you  will  act  for  me,  my 
friend." 

"  I  will  think  of  it,  but  I  know  you  are  in  error  in 
supposing  Elsie  has  an  admirer  such  as  you  describe. 
If  there  is  any  man  she  loves,  Mr.  Hall,  it  is  yourself. 
Ask  her  for  her  hand  and  prove  my  words  true." 

"  I  never  can  do  that,"  was  the  sad  reply. 


284  SXRAtfGER  THAN  FICTION* 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

"  KINDLY  EXAMINE  THESE  PAPERS.*1 

THE  relations  between  the  partners  of  Whiteley  & 
Hall  had  become  very  much  strained  by  this  time.  The 
two  men  were  hardly  on  speaking  terms  and  only 
held  such  communications  as  were  absolutely  neces- 
sary in  closing  up  their  business.  Hall  resented  bit- 
terly the  action  of  Whiteley  in  joining  in  the  pursuit 
of  Paul  Gardner  and  was  hurt  by  the  constant  proofs 
that  he  was  hand  in  glove  with  Morse,  who,  though 
disappointed,  was  not  discouraged  and  kept  up  his 
efforts. 

It  was  certainly  a  peculiar  situation:  The  owner  of 
the  property  taken  at  Stromberg  four  years  before  was 
doing  his  best  to  aid  the  supposed  thief,  while  the  trus- 
tee was  trying  to  restore  the  bonds  to  a  man  who  did 
not  want  them  recovered.  One  was  influenced  to  a 
certain  extent  by  sentiment,  the  other  wanted  to  re- 
deem his  reputation  in  the  eyes  of  the  world. 

The  legal  document  which  would  turn  over  half  of 
the  stock  in  the  mining  company  to  Mr.  Sewall,  as 
representing  the  Gardner  heirs,  was  finally  completed, 
as  well  as  other  papers  necessary  to  the  new  move 
Mr.  Hall  had  decided  to  make.  Then  a  telegram 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  285 

was  sent  to  Cyrus  Keith,  saying,  "  I  need  you  greatly. 
Come  as  soon  as  you  can  to  Olluma." 

In  the  meantime  Paul  had  reached  a  distant  point 
where,  thinking  himself  safe  from  immediate  danger, 
he  wrote  a  letter  to  Marian.  This  letter  was  handed 
to  Mr.  Gardner  at  the  postoffice,  one  day,  when  he 
was  in  a  particularly  thirsty  condition  and  angry  with 
every  one,  Mr.  Hall  especially,  for  the  hard  fate  which 
prevented  him  from  satisfying  his  absorbing  appetite 
for  liquor.  Altough  the  envelope  bore  an  unfamiliar 
hand  the  old  man  guessed  who  had  sent  it  and,  con- 
cluding that  an  opportunity  to  make  an  honest  dollar 
had  presented  itself,  went  straight  to  Mr.  Morse. 

"  There's  a  reward  offered  for  that  wicked  son  of 
mine,  ain't  there?"  he  asked. 

"  Five  hundred  dollars  by  the  State  of  Illinois  and 
$500  more  that  I  am  willing  to  pay  out  of  my  own 
pocket." 

"  If  a  man  put  you  onto  the  right  trail  would  he  git 
that  money?  " 

"  He  would  at  least  get  a  share  of  it.  I  would 
give  a  hundred  dollars  on  the  spot  for  a  good  clue." 

There  was  something  horrible  in  the  scheme  that 
was  visible  in  the  cunning  face  of  this  depraved 
father,  but  the  time  for  splitting  hairs  had  passed. 

"  He's  been  an  ondutiful  son,"  said  Mr.  Gardner, 
as  if  to  justify  the  deed  he  contemplated.  "  He's 
brought  disgrace  on  a  respectable  and  honorable  fam- 
ily. I  don't,  think  he's  entitled  to  any  consideration 
from  me." 


286  STRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 

"  You  know  where  he  is,  then?  "  asked  Morse,  with 
bated  breath. 

"  You'll  give  me  the  hundred,  if  I  show  you — and 
say  nothing  to  nobody?  " 

An  eager  affirmative  was  at  once  given  to  the  propo- 
sition. Mr.  Gardner,  with  shaking  ringers,  tore  open 
the  envelope  and,  after  reading  the  letter  within,  hand- 
ed it  to  the  other  man.  The  money  was  paid,  prom- 
ises of  mutual  secrecy  exchanged,  and  a  few  minutes 
later  a  dispatch  was  on  the  wires  directed  to  the  au- 
thorities of  Sacramento,  where  the  young  man  was  in 
hiding.  Mr.  Gardner  went  straight  to  the  nearest 
bar  and  got  intoxicated.  He  also  took  home  with 
him  a  flask  of  liquor  and  for  several  days  indulged  his 
beastly  proclivities  to  his  heart's  content. 

Olluma  was  thrown  into  a  ferment  one  morning  by 
the  news  that  the  much-wanted  criminal  was  again  in 
custody.  It  had  been  arranged  that  he  was  to  be 
brought  back  to  that  town  and  an  effort  made  there 
to  obtain  a  confession  of  the  whereabouts  of  the  stolen 
bonds,  before  he  was  delivered  up  to  the  Illinois  au- 
thorities. 

Marian  heard  of  the  capture  and,  braving  the  anger 
of  her  husband,  went  to  call  on  Hall. 

"  They've  caught  poor  Paul  and  are  going  to  bring 
him  here,"  she  said,  wringing  her  hands.  "  Oh,  what 
can  we  do?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  All  I  can  say  is,  I  shall  use  my 
utmost  efforts  in  his  behalf.  I  have  made  some— 
some  discoveries — which  I  think  will  secure  his  par- 
don, even  if  he  has  to  be  returned  first  to  prison," 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  287 

"Discoveries?"  she  cried.  "You  have  learned 
who  was  the  real  thief?  " 

"  I  think  so." 

"  He  ought  to  be  severely  punished,  after  all  the 
injustice  he  has  permitted  to  be  done,"  she  said,  ex- 
citedly. 

"  Yes;  he  ought  to  suffer  as  much,  if  that  can  be,  as 
he  has  caused  others  to  suffer." 

Marian's  spirits  rose.  She  said  the  first  thing  Paul 
must  be  told  when  he  arrived  was  the  glorious  news. 
That  would  enable  him  to  bear  his  temporary  incar- 
ceration with  more  patience.  The  girl  laughed 
through  her  tears  and  began  to  see  only  the  bright 
side  of  the  case. 

Excusing  himself  on  the  plea  of  urgent  business, 
Mr.  Hall  bowed  her  out,  which  he  had  hardly  done 
when  Mr.  Keith  presented  himself,  having  lost  no  time 
in  responding  to  the  call. 

The  meeting  between  the  old  friends  was  affection- 
ate in  the  extreme,  and  when  the  first  greetings  were 
over  Mr.  Hall  locked  himself  in  a  private  room  with 
the  new  comer  and  had  a  long  and  deeply  interesting 
conversation  with  him.  Before  this  was  finished  an 
officer  who  had,  unknown  to  Keith,  come  with  Paul 
on  the  same  train,  appeared  in  the  outer  office,  accom- 
panied by  his  prisoner,  Mr.  Morse  and  Mr.  White- 
ley. 

The  quartet  entered  the  third  room  of  the  suite  oc- 
cupied by  the  law  firm — the  room  in  which  "  Mason 
Harvey  "  had  so  long  acted  as  clerk,  and  there  began 


288  STRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 

their  efforts  to  secure  information  as  to  the  disposal 
Paul  had  made  of  the  missing  securities. 

"  You  might  as  well  own  up,"  they  said  to  him,  one 
after  another,  in  various  forms  of  language.  "  Your 
escape  will  naturally  be  treated  as  a  new  offence,  and 
unless  you  make  restitution  you  are  likely  to  get  five 
years  more  added  to  your  unexpired  sentence.  Give 
up  what  you  took  and  we  will  all  do  our  best  to  se- 
cure your  early  release." 

The  young  man  wore  a  haggard  look  and  for  a  long 
time  refused  to  make  the  least  reply  to  the  coaxing 
suggestions.  It  was  the  hope  of  his  inquisitors  to 
break  him  down  from  sheer  exhaustion  and  they  kept 
at  their  task.  With  a  refinement  of  ingenuity  the 
officer  had  offered  him  no  breakfast  that  morning, 
and  as  he  was  actually  faint  with  hunger  and  weariness. 
When  it  seemed  as  if  he  would  refuse  to  speak,  not- 
withstanding all  their  efforts,  Whiteley  hit  by  accident 
on  a  key  that  opened  the  closed  mouth. 

"  Think  what  suffering  you  have  caused,"  he  said, 
impressively,  "  to  those  who  love  you.  Mr.  Hall  has 
made  arrangements  to  dissolve  his  partnership  with 
me  and  sacrifice  his  business  prospects  in  California, 
because  he  cannot  bear  to  stay  and  witness  the  dis- 
grace of  those  he  esteems  so  highly.  Your  sister 
Elsie  has  already  found  it  necessary  to  seek  another 
home,  because  she  has  learned  that  the  man  to  whom 
she  had  given  the  love  of  her  innocent  heart  is  the  one 
whose  life  you  blighted.  Restore  what  you  took 
from  him,  give  back  happiness  to  your  family  by  doing 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  289 

an  honest  act,  and  when  you  are  released  from  impris- 
onment, begin  a  new  life  of  probity." 

Whiteley  would  have  stopped  at  no  deception 
to  accomplish  his  purpose.  He  had  learned, 
through  Mr.  Morse,  of  the  reason  that  sent  Elsie  to 
Brayton,  and  he  threw  that  into  the  scale,  although 
he  knew  Mr.  Hall  was  pledged  to  Oscar  Felton's 
daughter.  The  effect,  to  his  joy,  was  instantaneous. 

"  Leave  me  here  for  half  an  hour,"  said  Paul,  husk- 
ily. "  I  want  to  think.  Oh,  you  can  guard  the 
building,"  he  added,  as  he  saw  the  quick  eyes  of  the 
officer  light  up  with  doubt.  "  There  is  only  the  door 
and  one  window  to  watch." 

The  officer  was  not  sure  he  ought  to  leave  the 
young  man  out  of  his  sight,  even  under  these  con- 
ditions, but  the  other  persuaded  him.  It  seemed  to 
them  that  the  time  was  near  at  hand,  if  it  would  ever 
come,  for  the  clearing-  up  of  the  great  mystery. 
Presently  Paul  was  left  alone,  and  no  one  objected 
when  he  turned  the  key  in  the  door  behind  them. 

The  trio  sat  down  and  talked  in  whispers,  looking 
often  at  their  watches  and  listening  for  any  sound 
that  might  come  from  the  inner  room  they  had  va- 
cated. They  could  occasionally  hear  Mr.  Hall  speak- 
ing on  the  other  side  of  the  partition,  but  they  did  not 
know  who  was  closeted  with  him,  nor,  of  course,  the 
subject  that  seemed  to  engross  them  so  thoroughly. 
It  was  a  drear)-  wait,  but  the  hope  that  had  entered 
their  minds  served  to  make  it  bearable;  and  at  last, 
when  the  full  half  hour  was  over,  the  officer  tapped 


390  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

lightly' on  the  door  behind  which  his  prisoner  was 
staying. 

The  key  turned  and  Paul  admitted  them.  As  they 
looked  inquiringly  at  his  unshaven  face  they  saw  that 
a  new  expression  had  come  into  the  weary  eyes  and 
a  new  erectness  to  the  bent  form  they  had  left.  He 
looked,  not  like  a  prisoner  being  baited  and  badgered, 
but  like  a  man  among  men,  who  had  terms  to  give  to 
others.  He  was  actually  handsome  at  that  moment. 

"Well?"  they  asked  in  one  breath. 

"  If  Mr.  Roads,  the  officer,  will  go  with  me  to  my 
old  lodging  room,"  said  Paul  without  a  tremor,  "  I  will 
give  him  what  you  want." 

Although  they  had  hoped  for  something  of  this  sort, 
all  three  of  the  men  were  overcome  with  surprise  at 
the  straightforwardness  of  the  statement. 

"You  will  surrender  the  stolen  securities?"  asked 
Mr.  Roads. 

"Every  one." 

"  You  had  better  not  go  alone,"  whispered  Morse 
to  the  officer,  too  excited  almost  to  enunciate  the 
words. 

"  Have  no  fear,"  was  the  reply.  "  I  know  my  busi- 
ness." 

"  I  will  do  what  you  ask,"  added  Roads,  to  Paul. 
"  Excuse  me  for  attaching  this  bracelet  to  your  wrist 
and  to  mine.  You  have  taken  at  last  the  sensible 
course  and  I  renew  my  promise  to  do  all  I  can  to  make 
it  easy  for  you." 

The  carriage  in  which  the  party  had  come  was  wait- 
ing below,  surrounded  by  a  gaping  crowd,  which  was 


StRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

prevented  from  ascending  the  stairs  by  two  men  in 
uniform.  As  Roads  caught  sight  of  the  assemblage 
he  asked  Paul  if  he  wished  to  tie  a  handkerchief  across 
his  face,  so  as  to  be  less  conspicuous  to  those  who 
had  known  him. 

"  Not  at  all.  I  am  doing  nothing  I  am  ashamed 
of,"  was  the  proud  reply,  and  the  young  man  straight- 
ened himself  to  his  full  height.  As  he  walked  down 
the  stairs  and  to  the  carriage  he  looked  much  more 
like  an  arresting  officer  than  like  a  prisoner  in  custody. 
"  He's  braving  it  out,"  said  one  to  another. 

Whiteley  and  Morse  sat  in  the  office,  awaiting  the 
return  of  the  pair  who  had  gone.  They  spoke  in  low 
tones  occasionally,  as  if  in  attendance  at  a  funeral. 
Sometimes  they  moved  uneasily,  at  a  noise  outside  or 
a  movement  in  the  room  where  Hall  and  his  friend 
Keith  were  closeted.  Whiteley  remarked  that  it  was 
lucky  they  had  fixed  this  thing  without  his  partner 
having  a  chance  to  interfere  and  Morse  nodded  an 
agreement.  Finally  the  inner  door  opened  and  the 
occupants  of  that  room  appeared. 

"  How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Morse? "  said  Keith,  with 
some  constraint,  at  the  same  time  offering  his  hand. 

"  You  are  too  early  with  your  courtesies,"  was  the 
sharp  retort.  "  I  do  not  care  to  shake  hands  with 
anybody  from  Stromberg  just  yet." 

Mr.  Keith  colored,  but  preserved  his  good  nature. 

"  I  will  admit,  Mr.  Morse,"  he  said,  "that,  in  com- 
mon with  some  others  of  your  townsmen,  I  have  done 
you  an  injustice  in  my  thoughts.  I  rejoice  that  you 


292  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

will  soon  have  it  in  your  power  to  prove  your  inno- 
cence to  those  who  have  mistaken  you." 

Mr.  Hall  stood  back  a  little,  listening,  with  his  gaze 
on  the  door.  Mr.  Morse  looked  at  the  two  stupefied. 
Was  there  an  aperture  between  'the  room  in  which 
they  had  sat  and  this  one,  that  they  had  successfully 
played  the  part  of  eavesdroppers?  He  was  about  to 
ask  what  Mr.  Keith  meant  by  his  expressions  when 
the  sound  of  steps  on  the  front  stairs  was  heard,  and 
Paul  Gardner,  still  erect  and  proud,  entered  the  room 
manacled  as  before  to  Officer  Roads.  In  the  young 
man's  free  hand  was  an  oblong  package,  about  ten  by 
three  inches  in  size,  tied  with  blue  tape.  At  sight  of 
the  men  and  the  package  Mr.  Hall  sprang  backward 
and  caught  at  a  desk  for  support. 

"  Mr.  Morse,"  came  the  strong,  clear  voice  of  the 
prisoner,  "  will  you  kindly  examine  these  papers  and 
see  if  they  are  the  ones  you  lost?  " 

While  the  insurance  agent  was  untying  the  tape  with 
trembling  fingers,  Mr.  Keith  supported  Mr.  Hall  with 
his  arm  and  assisted  him  to  a  chair,  besides  bringing 
•him  a  glass  of  water,  which  he  sipped  feverishly.  But 
Mr.  Keith's  attention  could  not  be  kept  long  from  the 
strange  scene  going  on  at  the  other  side  of  the  room. 
With  undisguised  astonishment  he  heard  Mr.  Morse 
verify  the  contents  of  the  package,  piece  by  piece,  and 
announce  that  everything  taken  from  him  was  there. 

"  I  shall  have  to  retain  this  for  the  present/"  said 
Roads,  doing  it  up  roughly  and  thrusting  it  into  his 
pocket.  "  And  now,  gentlemen,  let  me  congratulate 
you,  and  say  good-by." 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

Mr.  Hall  staggered  to  his  feet  as  the  officer  and  h!i 
prisoner  reached  the  outer  door  and  gasped  the  one 
word,  ''Paul!"  He  was  too  weak  to  stand,  however, 
Mr.  Keith  sympathetically  helped  him  to  his  chair 
again. 

"  Might  I  ask  you,  gentlemen,  to  leave  us  for  a  few: 
minutes,"  he  said  to  the  others,  appealingly.  "  He  is 
very  ill." 

Without  an  oral  reply  Whiteley  accompanied  Morse 
into  the  corridor. 

"Courage!"  whispered  Keith  to  the  nearly  inani- 
mate figure  in  the  chair.  "  Don't  give  up  like  this." 

Victor  looked  up  at  his  friend  with  wandering  gaze. 

"  Did  you  see  him?  Did  he  have  that  package  and 
give  it  to  Morse — or  was  I  dreaming?  " 

Ten  minutes  later,  supported  on  one  side  by  Mr. 
Keith,  and  on  the  other  by  a  hackmari  who  had  been 
summoned,  Hall  was  led  slowly  down  the  stairs  and 
driven  to  the  hotel. 

"  Don't  seem  to  like  his  medicine,  does  he?"  re- 
marked Whiteley  to  his  confederate,  with  a  grin. 


294  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

AN  ELABORATE  CONFESSION. 

HON.  JOHN  M.  TANNER,  Governor  of  Illinois,  found 
among  his  mail  within  a  week  after  the  restoration  of 
the  stolen  papers  to  Mr.  Morse,  the  following  peculiar 
and  highly  interesting  documents.  They  were  interest- 
ing even  to  a  Governor  who  had  many  strange  things 
come  before  him,  and  were  read  through  twice  with 
care  before  they  were  laid  aside  for  action : 

To  the  Hon.  John  M.  Tanner,  Governor : — Respect- 
fully represents  the  undersigned  that  it  has  come  to 
his  knowledge  that  one  Paul  Gardner,  passing  also  by 
the  name  of  "  Herbert  Brown,"  who  was  convicted 
under  the  latter  name  of  larceny,  at  a  term  of  court 

held  at  Stromberg,  on  the  I4th  day  of ,  1895, 

and  sentenced  to  a  term  of  five  years  in  the  State 
Prison  at  Joliet,  is  wholly  innocent  of  that  crime. 
Now,  therefore,  your  petitioner,  both  for  himself  and 
for  his  client,  Victor  Hall,  for  some  time  past  a  resi- 
dent of  the  State  of  California,  but  formerly  of  Strom- 
berg,  and  whose  affidavit,  setting  forth  his  own  guilt 
in  the  matter  of  said  larceny  and  the  entire  innocence 
of  said  Gardner,  alias  Brown,  is  hereto  annexed,  prays 
that  said  Gardner,  alias  Brown,  be  set  at  liberty,  and 
that  an  early  hearing  be  given  in  the  matter. 

And  your  petitioner  will  ever  pray.       (Signed) 

CYRUS  KEITH,  Attorney-at-Law. 

Stromberg,  Oct.  — ,  1898. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION".  295 

'Affidavit  of  Victor  Hall:  The  undersigned,  Victor 
Hall,  formerly  of  Stromberg  in  the  State  of  Illinois,  but 
more  recently  of  Olluma  in  the  State  of  California, 
makes  oath  as  follows : 

In  the  year  1890  one  Martha  Hall,  mother  of  said 
Victor,  deceased  at  said  Stromberg,  leaving  in  trust 
for  said  Victor  certain  funds  to  the  value  (approxi- 
mately) of  $40,000,  constituting  one  Richard  A.  Morse 
as  trustee  and  executor  of  her  estate.  By  the  terms 
of  said  will  the  said  Morse  was  to  retain  custody  of 
said  funds  until  the  said  Victor  was  thirty  years  of 
age,  paying  him  only  the  income  until  that  time.  Said 
Morse  entered  upon  the  performance  of  the  trust 
aforesaid,  giving  no  bonds,  as  provided  by  said  will, 
for  the  faithful  discharge  of  said  duties,  and  there- 
after, until  the  27th  day  of  November,  1895,  as  de- 
ponent says  and  now  believes,  acted  as  an  honest  and 
wise  guardian  of  said  trust  funds,  carrying  out  the 
provisions  of  said  will  according  to  law. 

And  the  said  Hall  deposes  that  in  the  month  of  No- 
vember, in  the  year  1895,  he  became  possessed  with  the 
conviction  that  the  securities  held  in  trust  for  him  by 
said  Morse  were  not  in  honest  and  safe  hands,  and 
was  much  troubled  in  his  mind  over  the  danger  which 
he  imagined  said  trust  estate  was  in ;  and  being  con- 
vinced, after  much  mental  worry,  that  he  was  likely  to 
be  a  sufferer  from  the  probable  (as  he  believed)  dan- 
ger to  his  rights  in  the  case,  and  that  an  application  to 
the  court  having  jurisdiction  would  result  in  a  refusal 
to  have  another  trustee  appointed  in  whom  he,  the 
said  Hall,  might  have  full  confidence,  your  deponent 
hastily  conceived  a  plan  by  which  he  might  gain  pos- 
session of  said  securities  so  held  in  trust  for  him  bv 
the  said  Morse  in  advance  of  the  time  said  property 
would  be  legally  due  and  payable  into  his  hands. 
Having  been  permitted  to  examine  the  said  securities 


296  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

representing  said  trust  property,  and  observing  tKat 
they  were  kept  in  a  package,  the  outer  wrapper  of 
which  was  of  a  certain  style  of  wrapping  paper  and 
tied  with  blue  tape,  your  deponent  says  that  he  pre- 
pared a  package  intended  to  look  as  nearly  as  possible 
like  the  one  in  which  said  securities  were  kept,  and  on 
being  permitted  again  to  examine  the  true  package  in 
the  office  of  said  Morse,  did  then  and  there  substitute 
the  false  package  for  the  true  one,  and  did  take  and 
carry  away  surreptitiously  the  said  securities  of  which 
the  said  Morse  was  legal  custodian  and  trustee  for 
your  deponent. 

And  the  said  Hall  further  says  that  after  gaining 
possession  as  aforesaid  of  said  securities,  which  at  the 
time,  in  his  excited  state  of  mind,  he  fully  believed 
himself  justified  in  doing,  on  the  principle  that  one 
should  protect  his  rights  at  all  hazards  against  immi- 
nent danger,  he  removed  on  the  following  day  from 
the  State  of  Illinois,  and  soon  after  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  the  State  of  California,  carrying  the  said 
property  with  him ;  and  that  to  no  person  did  he  men- 
tion or  intimate  in  any  way  that  he  had  taken  said 
property  as  aforesaid,  but  retained  possession  of  said 
securities  in  the  original  form  in  which  he  took  them 
until  the  third  clay  of  October,  last  past. 

And  your  deponent  also  says  that  he  had  no  infor- 
mation that  the  taking  of  said  package  was  charged  as 
a  crime  to  one  Paul  Gardner,  alias  Brown,  until  the 
summer  of  the  present  year ;  that  he  supposed  the  only 
result  of  his  act  would  be  to  secure  himself  in  posses- 
sion of  his  mother's  estate  in  advance  of  the  legal 
time;  and  that  he  believed  himself  justified  to  his  own 
conscience  in  the  unusual  action  he  had  taken  in  the 
matter.  It  has  recently  come  to  his  knowledge,  how- 
ever, that  a  clerk  in  the  office  of  the  said  Morse,  whose 
true  name  is  Paul  Gardner,  but  who  was  then  passing 
under  the  name  of  "  Herbert  Brown,"  having  been  the 
only  person,  according  to  the  evidence  presented,  who 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  2<$ 

had  a  knowledge  of  the  combination  by  which  a  cer- 
tain safe  in  said  office,  in  which  said  papers  were 
ssually  kept,  could  be  opened,  was  arrested,  indicted, 
tried  and  sentenced  to  the  terra  of  five  years  in  the 
State  Prison  for  the  larceny  of  said  securities,  and 
that  the  said  Gardner,  although  a  totally  innocent  per- 
son as  regards  said  offence,  is  now  undergoing  punish- 
ment therefor  in  the  prison  aforesaid. 

And  your  deponent  says  that  he  and  he  alone  is 
guilty  of  the  abstraction  of  said  property  and  that 
said  Gardner,  alias  Brown,  had  no  knowledge  of  your 
deponent's  act  or  reason  to  believe  the  true  facts  in  the 
case. 

And  said  Hall  further  deposes  that  he  is  now  and 
will  continue  to  remain  as  long  as  may  be  necessary 
to  further  the  ends  of  justice  and  do  right  by  the  said 
Gardner,  within  the  limits  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  to 
wit,  at  the  Palmer  House  in  the  City  of  Chicago,  and 
will  be  ready  and  willing  at  any  time  to  appear  for 
examination  by  your  Excellency  or  any  court  or  per- 
son designated  by  you,  to  substantiate  the  allegations 
of  this  deposition. 

Wherefore  he,  the  said  Hall,  prays  that  your  Ex- 
cellency will  give  speedy  attention  to  this  matter,  that 
an  end  may  be  put  to  the  incarceration  of  the  said  in- 
nocent Paul  Gardner. 

(Signed)         VICTOR  HALL. 

Subscribed  and  sworn  to  before  me,  this  —  day  of 
October,  in  the  year  1898,  at  Stromberg. 

CYRUS  KEITH,  Notary  Public. 

Mr.  Keith  took  a  journey  to  Springfield,  secured  an 
interview  with  Gov.  Tanner  without  much  delay,  and 
talked  the  matter  over  with  him  at  length.  By  his  re- 
quest a  communication  was  dictated  to  the  warden  of 
the  State  Prison  to  treat  Gardner  with  all  possible 


298  STRANGER  THAN  FICTiON. 

leniency  consistent  with  his  safe  custody  until  the  case 
was  disposed  of. 

"  What  does  Mr.  Hall  expect  will  be  done  with  him- 
self when  he  has  secured  the  release  of  Gardner?" 
asked  the  Governor. 

"  He  will  leave  that  entirely  to  the  courts.  He  re- 
alizes that  he  has  been  the  cause  of  great  suffering  to 
innocent  people  and  declares  he  will  make  no  defence 
except  to  represent  the  circumstances  exactly  as  they 
are." 

"  He  almost  wrants  to  take  Gardner's  place  in 
prison?"  said  the  Governor,  with  a  slight  smile. 

"  I  really  believe  he  does.  The  revelation  of  the 
misery  his  act  has  caused  has  much  unnerved  him.  He 
fears  also  that  an  affidavit  unsupported  by  his  presence 
would  not  be  sufficient.  Representing  him  I  can  say 
that  he  is  entirely  ready  to  take  whatever  punishment  it 
is  decided  he  deserves." 

"  It  will  break  up  his  life  and  ruin  his  career,"  mused 
the  Governor. 

"  I  am  afraid  so,  but  he  is  determined.  And  I  would 
not  like  the  responsibility  of  coming  between  a  man 
and  his  convictions  of  right." 

Mr.  Hall  stayed  at  Chicago,  because  he  wanted  to  be 
where  he  could  easily  be  called,  and  did  not  like  to  face 
the  people  of  Stromberg,  day  after  day,  wtiile  this  mat- 
ter was  waiting  to  be  adjudicated.  He  wrote  a  letter  to 
Paul  in  his  prison,  telling  what  he  had  done  and  ex- 
pressing the  greatest  regret  at  the  suffering  which  had 
fallen  on  the  young  man.  He  alluded  to  his  attempt  to 
effect  a  partial  restoration  of  the  Gardner  ranch,  not  as 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 

if  it  ought  to  affect  Paul's  feelings  toward  him,  but 
that  he  might  have  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  he 
would  not  be  penniless  when  released  from  bondage. 

Mr.  Morse  came  back  to  Stromberg,  with  his  head 
high  in  the  air.  To  those  who  expressed  congratula- 
tions he  replied  in  a  manner  that  was  curt  and  haughty. 
The  injuries  he  had  endured  had  burned  deep  into  his 
soul.  His  main  idea  now  was  to  punish  Mr.  Hall,  and 
he  engaged  able  counsel  to  represent  him  In  the  pro- 
ceedings that  were  to  take  place.  In  spite  of  Hall's  at- 
titude he  feared  he  would  not  carry  out  his  announced 
intentions  unless  forced.  He  wanted  to  see  him  behind 
the  bars,  with  the  stripes  of  a  convict  on  him.  One  day 
he  received  this  letter  from  the  object  of  his  wrath : 

Richard  A.  Morse,  Esq. — Dear  Sir:  As  you  have  un- 
doubtedly been  at  some  pecuniary  loss  on  account  of 
my  actions  in  relation  to  the  bonds  you  held  in  trust 
for  me,  and  which  will  naturally  be  returned  to  you,  I 
wish  to  make  over  to  you  absolutely  the  entire  prop- 
erty. This  I  do  from  a  conviction  that  it  will  no  more 
than  compensate  for  what  you  have  endured,  and  be- 
cause I  have  suffered  such  mental  distress  that  I  pre- 
fer not  to  see  them  again. 

Very  truly  yours,  VICTOR  HALL. 

Mr.  Morse  sneered  audibly  as  he  finished  reading 
this  epistle. 

"  He's  crawfishing,"  he  muttered.  "  But  he  don't  get 
around  me  by  any  such  trick.  He  got  to  do  time; 
that's  what  he  deserves  and  I'll  see  it's  what  he  gets. 
As  for  the  trusteeship  it  will  be  carried  out  according 
to  the  terms  of  his  mother's  will.  I  shall  take  for  my 


300  STRANGER  THAN"  FICTION. 

services  just  what  the  law  allows  and  no  more.  He'd 
like  to  lower  me  again  in  the  estimation  of  my  fellow 
townsmen,  but  he's  taken  the  wrong  way  to  do  it." 

Another  letter  was  written  and  mailed  about  this 
time,  which  read  as  follows : 

Miss  Elsie : — Can  you  endure  a  few  lines  from  one 
who,  though  he  little  realized  what  he  was  doing  at 
the  time,  has  caused  much  harm  to  you  and  yours? 
I  make  no  defence ;  I  have  no  intention  of  asking  for 
a  pardon  I  do  not  deserve.  I  only  beg,  if  you  can 
grant  me  that  favor,  out  of  the  kindness  of  your  heart, 
that  you  will  let  me  know  the  date  your  marriage  is  to 
take  place,  that  I  may  send  some  little  souvenir.  We 
were  good  friends  once.  V.  H. 

When  notice  came  that  the  Governor  was  ready  to 
hear  Mr.  Keith's  petition,  Mr.  Hall  \vent  to  Springfield 
and  assisted  in  presenting  the  case.  Even  Morse  could 
find  no  fault  with  his  manner  of  doing  so,  but  when  the 
pardon  was  directed  to  issue  he  asked  that  Hall  be  de- 
tained and  bound  over  for  trial.  He  expressed  his  fear 
that  the  confessed  criminal  would  not  be  found  when 
next  wanted,  but  no  attention  was  paid  to  his  state- 
ments. He  had  the  unpleasant  experience,  instead,  of 
hearing  murmurs  of  admiration  and  approval  follow 
Victor,  from  the  people  present  at  the  hearing. 

"  Gad,  but  that's  moral  courage !  "  said  one  man,  ex- 
pressing the  views  of  all  about  him. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  3OT 


CHAPTER   XXXIII. 

AN  AUSTRIAN  BARONESS. 

AMONG  the  people  especially  interested  in  the  re- 
markable move  that  Mr.  Hall  had  made  was  Oscar 
Felton  and  his  daughter.  They  had  realized  from  the 
brief  and  unenthusiastic  letters  he  had  sent  them,  as 
well  as  from  his  constrained  manner  before  their  de- 
parture, that  he  was  not  enthusiastic  over  the  nuptials 
they  were  trying  to  persuade  him  to  celebrate.  Both 
had  hoped,  however,  that  time  would  bring  everything 
around  to  their  liking  and  had  tried  to  await  that  happy 
day  with  patience.  When  the  papers  began  to  be  rilled 
with  accounts  of  his  confession  the  news  came  like  a 
chilling  wave  to  both  father  and  daughter. 

Gertrude's  sentiments  underwent  a  decided  change 
when  she  contemplated  the  possibility  of  waiting  years 
for  a  fiance  who  could  only  come  to  her  -arms  at  last 
from  a  felon's  cell.  Her  love  was  not  proof  against  the 
new  order  of  things ;  and  her  father,  who  had  encour- 
aged her  infatuation  for  Victor  because  it  s€emed  the 
surest  way  to  save  her  from  an  early  grave,  was  not 
sorry  to  observe  that  she  heard  his  name  with  a 
clouded  brow  and  that  apprehension  was  giving  way 
to  indignation. 

About  the  same  time — as  if  to  help  matters  out— r~ 


302  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

an  Austrian  baron,  who  had  come  to  the  United  States 
for  the  purpose  of  bestowing  his  title  on  some  eligible 
young  woman  with  a  suitable  fortune,  made  a  second 
visit  to  Stromberg.  Learning  the  condition  of  affairs 
he  began  again  to  pay  Gertrude  marked  attention.  She 
was  flattered  to  find  herself  the  envied  one  among  her 
social  set,  and  when  the  baron  renewed  his  proposal  in 
a  formal  manner  and  she  saw  a  European  court  in 
prospect,  she  came  to  the  conclusion  that  her  path  was 
clear. 

Victor  Hall's  image  had  gradually  faded  from  her 
girlish  heart.  She  was  willing  to  leave  a  town  in 
which  she  had  known  her  heaviest  disappointment  and 
excite  at  the  same  time  the  little  world  in  which  she 
moved.  Mr.  Felton  was  glad  to  have  the  troubled 
seas  of  her  life  settled  so  pleasantly.  And  although 
she  was  not  able  to  converse  with  her  admirer  in  his 
own  language,  nor  he  with  her  in  hers,  they  managed 
by  the  aid  of  what  French  she  knew  (and  an  inter- 
preter) to  exchange  vows  and  to  arrange  the  terms 
of  a  marriage  settlement. 

The  little  preliminary  of  breaking  off  the  fiction  of 
an  engagement  with  Mr.  Hall  was  easily  arranged. 
Mr.  Felton  wrote  to  Victor  that  he  thought  his  pres- 
ent attitude  inexcusable  and  that  his  confession  of 
theft  had  disgraced  him  sufficiently  to  warrant  a  sev- 
erance of  all  ties  between  him  and  his  daughter.  Quite 
as  much  relieved  as  Gertrude,  Mr.  Hall  responded  in 
the  next  mail  that  he  would  consider  the  affair  ended 
and  that  he  wished  his  late  fiancee  all  future  happi- 
ness. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  303 

Paul  Gardner,  who  was  provided  with  necessary 
funds  now  to  travel  in  a  comfortable  manner,  lost  no 
time  in  returning  to  California,  where  his  sisters  were 
anxiously  awaiting-  him.  He  found  Elsie  in  much 
distress  over  the  •impending  punishment  of  Mr.  Hall, 
who  had,  she  thought,  fully  expiated  his  fault,  con- 
sidering all  the  circumstances.  In  this  view  of  the 
matter  Paul  and  Marian  entirely  agreed  with  her,  the 
former  being  abundantly  willing,  as  far  as  he  was  con- 
cerned, to  forgive  the  unhappy  man.  It  was  evident 
to  all  three  that  Mr.  Hall's  action  was  caused  in  the 
first  place  by  an  apparently  well  grounded  fear  that  he 
was  about  to  lose  his  inheritance;  and  in  trying  to 
right  his  wrong,  as  soon  as  he  discovered  it,  he  had 
disarmed  resentment. 

Marian  had  suffered  with  the  rest  from  the  terrible 
error  that  had  been  made,  for  her  married  life  hung 
by  a  slender  thread,  which  might  break  at  any  time. 
She  would  not  hear  a  word,  however,  in  criticism  of 
her  husband,  who  was  actuated,  she  said,  by  his  idea 
of  absolute  justice  and  had  endured  great  trials.  She 
wrote  to  him  often,  begging  him  to  join  with  the 
others  who  had  been  injured,  forgetting  the  past,  but 
no  answer  came.  Mr.  Morse  fancied  that  nothing 
less  than  legal  penalties  would  balance  the  account 
against  the  author  of  his  disgrace. 

Mr.  Evans,  the  lawyer  who  undertook  the  defence 
of  Master  Jacob,  succeeded  in  getting  that  young  gen- 
tleman admitted  to  bail  in  a  reasonable  sum,  which 
was  easily  procured,  and  later  in  having  his  case  placed 
on  file.  It  was  argued  to  the  district  court  that  Jacob 


3O4  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION,. 

was  too  young  to  understand  the  offence  with  which 
he  had  been  charged,  and  had  only,  at  the  most,  fired 
some  random  shots  in  the  air,  when  he  found  himself 
in  danger  of  assault  from  a  mob  whose  intentions  he 
had  no  means  of  knowing,  except  that  they  were  an- 
tagonistic. No  one  had  been  hurt,  at  any  rate,  and  to 
prosecute  this  little  fellow  seriously,  for  holding  at  bay 
a  dozen  strong  men  headed  by  a  sheriff,  would  only 
result  in  belittling  the  authorities  in  the  eyes  of  the 
public. 

The  boy  was  solemnly  warned,  however,  by  the 
judge,  to  "  turn  over  a  new  leaf "  and  told  that  in  case 
he  was  ever  arrested  in  the  future  this  offence  would 
be  remembered  against  him.  He  came  out  of  the 
ordeal  somewhat  sobered  and,  after  receiving  a  large 
quantity  of  good  advice  from  his  brother,  whom  he 
fairly  adored,  relinquished  his  old  intention  of  adopt- 
ing the  profession  of  a  footpad,  and  devoted  himself 
with  ardor  to  his  schoolbooks.  The  principal  diffi- 
culty thus  far  has  been  to  induce  him  to  adopt  the 
language  usually  spoken  by  respectable  people  in  the 
United  States,  and  abandon  the  slang  to  which  he  has 
clung,  but  he  is  gradually  accomplishing  even  this 
feat. 

Mr.  Sewall,  after  long  thought  and  many  con- 
sultations with  the  Gardners,  accepted  the  trus- 
teeship of  the  shares  Mr.  Hall  had  owned  in  the 
gold  mine.  It  was  feared  that  unless  he  did  so 
Mr.  Whiteley  might  succeed  in  absorbing  the  whole 
of  it,  which  his  actions  led  them  to  believe  he  would 
not  be  above  doing.  When  all  the  troubles  were 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  305 

.aightened  out,  it  would  be  easy  to  give  the  prop- 
erty back  to  the  rightful  owner,  if  they  could  persuade 
him  to  accept  it.  With  a  competent  representative 
to  look  after  their  interests  the  mine  continued  to  prove 
a  profitable  institution  and  Mr.  Hall's  interests  were 
fully  protected. 

A  sad  thing  was  the  necessity  that  soon  devel- 
oped of  placing  the  father  of  the  family  in  a  home  for 
dipsomaniacs.  The  money  he  had  received  from  Mr. 
Morse  enabled  him  to  go  on  such  a  prolonged  de- 
bauch that  for  the  time  he  completely  lost  his  reason 
and  had  to  be  restrained.  It  is  only  necessary  to  dis- 
miss this  unpleasant  subject  by  saying  that  the  unfor- 
tunate man  survived  his  incarceration  but  a  few 
months. 

As  soon  as  Paul  had  attended  to  necessary  business 
in  the  West  he  returned  to  Illinois  and  had  several  in- 
terviews with  Mr.  Hall,  whom  he  tried  to  persuade  to 
flee  from  the  danger  that  hung  over  him.  Victor  was 
firm.  Xot  only  had  he  given  his  word  to  the  Governor 
at  the  time  he  applied  for  Paul's  release,  but  he  would 
never  be  satisfied  until  he  had  done  something  to  ex- 
piate his  offences.  He  was  much  interested  to  know 
how  Paul  had  obtained  possession  of  the  bonds  which 
he  had  surrendered  and  Paul  told  him  the  entire  story. 

"  I  had  seen  that  package  in  your  safe,"  said  he, 
"  several  times  when  you  came  to  open  it.  The  sim- 
ilarity of  the  size  and  tapes  to  the  one  I  was  accused 
of  stealing  impressed  me  greatly.  Still  I  could  form 
no  idea  for  a  long  time  why  you  should  have  taken  it 
yourself,  and  at  last  when  I  began  to  comprehend  your 


306  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

real  reason — as  it  was  afterwards  explained  by  you — i 
did  not  like  to  put  you  in  jeopardy  if  I  could  help  it, 
for  what  did  not  seem  like  a  real  larceny.  You  were 
kind  to  me,  you  had  been  like  a  brother  to  my  sisters. 
I  saw  the  package  several  times  and  grew  surer  that  it 
was  the  one  I  believed,  but  I  meant  to  use  that  knowl- 
edge only  in  the  event  that  I  was  again  arrested  and 
could  find  no  other  way  to  establish  my  innocence. 

"  With  the  importance  of  that  bundle  of  bonds  con- 
stantly in  my  mind  I  found  myself  observing  with  care 
the  manner  in  which  you  unlocked  that  safe.  It  was  not 
a  difficult  matter  to  fix  your  movements  in  my  mem- 
ory, and  one  day  after  the  office  was  closed  for  business 
I  proved  my  guess  correct  by  opening  the  door,  tak- 
ing out  the  package  and  verifying  my  suspicions.  Then 
came  your  warning  of  my  danger  from  Mr.  Morse, 
your  loan  of  mon^  for  my  flight,  and  some  things 
Jakey  told  me  while  we  were  g^ing  to  our  hiding  place 
in  the  old  barn.  I  made  up  my  mind  I  would  rather 
be  sent  back  to  Joliet  and  serve  out  my  term  than  to 
expose  you.  Mr.  Roads  left  me  in  that  room  for  half 
an  hour,  to  decide  whether  I  would  'confess '  where 
the  missing  property  was  or  take  the  extreme  penalty 
of  the  law.  I  quietly  opened  the  safe,  put  the  package 
under  my  vest,  and  locked  it  again.  When  they  called 
me  and  asked  for  my  decision  I  made  Roads  go  to  the 
house  where  I  had  roomed  and  pretended  to  find  the 
bonds  there.  If  you  had  not  spoiled  my  plan  I  would 
now  be  finishing  my  sentence  in  prison,  with  perhaps  a 
year  additional,  and  you  would  be  the  same  respected 
citizen  of  Olluma  you  were  before." 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION.  307 

Mr.  Hall  listened  with  deep  interest  and  sighed 
audibly  when  the  narrative  was  finished. 

"  And  you  would  have  stayed  in  prison,  disgraced, 
convicted,  suffering,  while  I  breathed  the  fresh  air  of 
heaven  and  retained  the  esteem  of  my  townsmen — I 
the  guilty,  you  the  innocent  man!  " 

"  I  wish  you  had  left  it  so,"  replied  Paul,  earnestly. 
"  And,  as  it  is  too  late  now  for  that,  I  beg  you  not  to 
make  useless  all  I  have  tried  to  do.  I  look  on  your  act 
In  taking  those  securities  as  a  venial  matter.  You  have 
done  all  you  can  to  right  those  who  were  wronged.  If 
you  persist  in  refusing  to  escape  punishment  you  will 
yield  to  a  morbid  sentiment  which  no  one  will  endorse, 
besides  giving  further  pain  to  friends  who  love  you — 
my  sisters  and  myself." 

Mr.  Hall  lowered  his  head,  trying  to  conceal  his 
overpowering  emotion. 

"  They  are  too  kind,  as  well  as  you,"  he  stam- 
mered at  last.  "  I  hope  when  I  have  donned  the  fel- 
on's stripes  that  belong  to  me,  Marian  will  be  restored 
to  the  husband  my  conduct  has  estranged  from  her, 
and  that — your — other  sister  " —  (he  had  tried  to  pro- 
nounce the  name,  that  '  stuck  in  his  throat'  like  the 
'  amen '  in  Macbeth)  "will  make  some  good  man 
happy." 

There  are  times  when  it  is  unwise  to  be  squeamish 
and  Paul  Gardner  thought  this  was  one  of  them. 

"  I  have  learned,"  he  said,  "  that  you  misunderstood 
something  Mannie  said  to  you  about  Elsie.  She  is  not 
engaged  to  rnarry  anybody,  she  has  not  even  the 
slightest  thought  in  that  direction.  She  showed  me 


308  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

your  letter  to  her,  in  which  you  spoke  of  her  coming 
wedding,  and  together  we  puzzled  out  the  way  you 
came  to  that  conclusion. 

He  caught  at  the  straw  like  a  drowning  man,  but 
immediately  relinquished  it.  No,  it  would  not  bear 
his  weight. 

"  It  was  not  altogether  what  Marian  said,  though 
I  thought  I  understood  what  she  meant  when  she  told 
me  her  sister  had  '  an  affection  of  the  heart.'  It  was 
your  father.  He  told  me  in  so  many  words  that  the 
child  was  ill  from  love,  when  she  went  to  Brayton." 

Paul  leaned  toward  ithe  speaker  and  spoke  impres- 
sively. 

"  For  a  man  with  two  good  eyes  you  are  the  blindest 
of  human  beings." 

Then  fearing  that  he  had  said  too  much,  he  rose, 
and  stating  that  he  would  call  again  soon,  took  a  hasty 
departure. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  309 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

"  MAY  I  SPEAK,  YOUR  HONOR  ?  " 

VICTOR  waited  patiently  for  the  next  session,  at 

which  he  expected  an  indictment  would  be  found 
against  him  for  grand  larceny,  but  when  the  list  of  pre- 
sentments appeared  in  the  newspapers  he  was  surprised 
— even  disappointed — not  to  discover  his  name.  Like 
the  Apostle,  he  was  "  ready  to  be  offered."  He  felt 
that  every  hour  his  punishment  was  postponed  delayed 
the  time  when  he  could  look  the  world  in  the  face  as  a 
man  who  had  paid  the  penalty  of  his  offence. 

After  talking  the  matter  over  with  Keith,  who  came 
to  Chicago  to  see  him,  he  decided  on  his  course  of  ac- 
tion. Going  to  Stromberg  he  walked  into  the  local 
police  station  and  told  the  astonished  captain  there, 
who  had  known  him  from  boyhood,  that  he  wanted 
to  be  locked  up. 

"  I  don't  understand  you,"  replied  the  captain. 
"  Your  case  was  considered  by  the  grand  jury  and  they; 
found  no  bill.  That  clears  you,  apparently." 

"  No  grand  jury  can  clear  a  guilty  man,"  replied 
Victor,  impressively.  "  Three  years  ago  I  stole  securi- 
ties valued  at  $40,000  from  Richard  A.  Morse  of  this 
town.  I  carried  those  securities  into  a  distant  part  of 
the  country  and  retained  possession  of  them  until  last 


3IO  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

autumn.  I  am  ready  to  stand  trial,  and  you  have  no 
right,  Capt.  Love,  to  refuse  me  that  privilege.  I  sur- 
render myself  into  custody.  You  are  obliged  to  take 
me  in  charge.' 

The  captain  did  not  like  the  situation  He  excused 
himself  for  a  few  minutes,  during  which  he  used  the 
telephone  in  his  office  to  communicate  with  Cyrus 
Keith,  with  Richard  Morse,  and  even  with  Gov.  Tan- 
ner. When  he  returned  to  the  waiting  man  he  asked 
him  to  follow  him  and,  apologizing  to  the  last  moment, 
showed  him  into  a  cell  in  the  rear  of  the  office. 

"  I  comply  with  your  request,  Mr.  Hall,  under  pro- 
test," said  he.  "  I  will  have  a  bondsman  here  in  half 
an  hour  who  will  give  bail  for  your  appearance  when 
wanted,  after  which  you  will  be  again  at  liberty.  I 
was  appointed  to  the  police  force  by  your  father,  when 
he  was  mayor,  and  this  proceeding  goes  against  me, 
I  assure  you." 

Mr.  Hall  sat  down  on  an  iron  bedstead  that  made 
part  of  tthe  furniture  of  his  new  home  and  drew  a  long 
breath. 

"  This  is  the  first  contented  moment  I  have  known 
for  years,"  he  replied.  "  I  shall  refuse  to  accept  bail, 
so  you  will  only  waste  time  if  you  make  a  move  in  that 
direction.  Can't  you  see,  man,  that  the  greatest  kind- 
ness you  can  show  is  to  help  me  pay  the  debt  I  owe 
society?  Take  me  into  court,  let  my  friends  see  I  am 
not  afraid  to  accept  the  consequences  of  my  folly,  put 
nothing  between  me  and  the  prison  I  deserve.  I  only 
ask  one  favor  of  you:  Don't  admit  any  reporters,  nor 
any  one  else,  unless  it  be  Mr.  Keith." 


STRANGER  THAN    FICTION.  3!  I 

Murmuring  that  he  would  take  notice  of  the  request, 
though  he  should  never  feel  that  his  friend  was  wise  in- 
his  present  movement,  Capt.  Love  turned  the  key  in 
the  massive  lock  and  walked  with  heavy  tread  back  to 
his  desk.  A  few  minutes  later  Mr.  Keith  called,  but 
on  hearing  what  Victor  had  said,  went  away  again.  He 
knew  the  state  of  the  prisoner's  mind  and  did  not  think 
it  best  to  interfere. 

Of  course  the  local  newspapers  had  a  broadside  on 
the  matter  that  evening  and  when  Victor  was  placed  in 
the  dock  of  the  local  court  the  next  morning  the  room 
was  crowded  to  suffiocation.  A  formal  complaint  which 
had  been  prepared  by  one  of  the  lieutenants  (Capt. 
Love  was  determined  his  name  should  not  appear  on 
that,  at  least)  was  read  and  Hall  responded  in  a  firm 
voice  that  he  plead  guilty.  As  the  matter  was  beyond 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  magistrate  the  defendant  was 
bound  over  in  the  sum  of  $500  for  his  appearance  at 
the  Circuit  court,  though  there  were  murmurs  of  dis- 
approbation from  many  in  the  throng  of  sightseers, 
who  thought  he  should  be  discharged  on  the  spot,  not- 
withstanding his  plea. 

"  May  I  speak  a  word,  your  Honor?  "  asked  Hall, 
rising  in  his  place. 

"  Certainly,"  responded  the  judge. 

"  Then  I  protest  against  the  amount  of  bail  that  your 
Honor  has  ordered.  I  stole  $40,000  from  Richard 
Morse.  My  bail  should  not  be  less  than  twice  the 
sum." 

"  But  the  stolen  property  has  been  returned,"  said 
the  judge,  smiling. 


312  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

"  That  is  true,  your  Honor.  But  the  slight  bafl 
which  has  been  ordered  is  an  indication  of  a  tendency 
to  minimize  a  great  offence.  If  the  amount  was 
five  dollars  instead  of  five  hundred  I  should  not  per- 
mit any  one  to  offer  it.  Won't  your  Honor  place  the 
sum  at  such  a  figure  that  my  crime  will  seem  the 
heinous  thing  it  is  in  the  eyes  of  people  who  are 
disposed  to  regard  it  lightly  ?  I  ask  this,  not  on  my 
own  account,  but  for  the  influence  it  will  have  on  men 
disposed  to  imitate  my  'error." 

Mr.  Mtorse,  who  had  sat  uneasily  among  the  specta- 
tors, rose  at  'this  juncture  and  essayed  to  speak,  but 
was  speedily  suppressed  by  an  officer,  who  demanded 
order  in  the  court.  The  judge  replied  to  Mr.  Hall  that 
the  amount  of  bail  he  had  mentioned  would  stand  and 
the  prisoner  was  taken  to  the  county  jail. 

These  facts  the  members  of  the  Gardner  family  who 
still  lived  in  the  little  home  at  Olluma  learned,  partly 
through  newspapers  and  partly  by  a  long  letter  that 
Mr.  Keith  took  the  pains  to  send  them'.  There  was  a 
conference  between  Paul  and  his  sisters,  at  which  it 
was  decided  that  all  should  make  a  trip  to  Illinois,  in- 
cluding even  Jakey,  who  was  delighted  with  the  pros- 
pect of  seeing  the  world.  Mr.  Sewall,  on  learning  of 
the  plan,  asked  and  readily  obtained  permission  to 
make  one  of  the  party,  and,  six  weeks  after  Victor  had 
been  committed,  they  were  registered  at  a  quiet  hotel 
in  Chicago.  There  Mr.  Keith  came  to  meet  them  and, 
a  few  days  later  Mr.  Morse  was  persuaded  to  hold  an 
interview  with  'his  wife. 

It  was  Marian's  devotion  that  finally  won  the  day, 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  313 

as  far  as  her  husband  was  concerned.  Morse  had  had 
time  to  let  a  little  of  his  anger  toward  Victor  cool.  The 
spectacle  of  the  young  man  awaiting  eagerly  the  pun- 
ishment due  his  crime,  his  absolute  refusal  to  allow 
anything  in  mitigation,  his  reiterated  expressions  of 
contrition  and  of  a  desire  to  make  every  restitution  in 
his  power  to  those  he  had  wronged,  began  to  penetrate 
even  the  hard  heart  of  the  insurance  man.  Besides 
this,  Morse  realized  that  nothing  could  fully  restore  the 
happiness  of  his  married  relations  but  a  concession  of 
some  kind  on  his  part.  He  gave  in,  little  by  little,  to 
his  wife's  arguments  and  they  came  at  last  to  mutual 
ground. 

"  Mr.  Hall,"  she  said,  "  will  have  been  incarcerated 
nearly  three  months  when  >the  time  of  his  trial  comes. 
He  asks  and  expects  nothing  from  you  but  bitter  op- 
position. You  have  a  grand  opportunity  to  prove  that 
only  love  of  justice  has  actuated  you  and  not  mere  re- 
venge. Paul,  who  was  kept  from  contact  with  free 
men  for  more  than  two  years,  is  willing  to  call  his  ac- 
count settled.  Richard,  cannot  you  be  as  magnani- 
mous as  he? " 

Elsie  begged  to  be  allowed  to  visit  the  man  she 
adored  in  his  prison,  but  the  others  advised  against  at- 
tempting -to  obtain  his  permission.  She  found  com- 
fort, however,  in  the  news  that  her  brother-in-law  had 
agreed  to  take  the  side  of  mercy.  The  attitude  of  the 
men  who  had  been  wronged  must  have  a  powerful  in- 
fluence on  the  sentence  of  the  court.  Keith  came  and 
expressed  his  certainty  that  the  Governor  would  not 


3 14  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

permit  any  excessive  sentence  to  stand,  if  worse  came 
to  worst. 

Thus  the  time  passed  till  Victor  stood  again  in  a 
dock,  pleading  guilty  with  erect  form,  and  firm  voice 
before  a  crowded  assemblage,  that  included  Morse  and 
Marian  and  Elsie,  and  even  the  irrepressible  small 
brother. 

"Are  you  represented  by  counsel?"  inquired  the 
clerk  of  Victor,  when  the  plea  was  duly  recorded. 

"  I  am  not  nor  do  I  wish  to  be,"  was  the  distinct  re- 
ply. "  I  am  guilty  as  charged  in  the  indictment  and 
only  wish  the  court  to  hear  the  exact  facts  of  my  case." 

The  first  witness  called  was  Richard  Morse,  who 
told  (reluctantly  now)  the  story  of  his  connection  with 
the  Hall  estate  and  his  discovery  that  ithe  bonds  he 
held  in  trust  were  missing.  He  gave  an  account  of  the 
way  he  had  been  led  to  suspect  Paul  Gardner  of  the 
theft  and  detailed  the  arrest,  (trial  and  conviction  of  that 
young  man,  as  well  as  his  pursuit  of  the  escaped  pris- 
oner and  the  final  delivery  of  the  securities  back  into 
his  hands  in  the  office  of  Whiteley  &  Hall  at  Olluma. 

"  When  did  you  first  suspect  that  the  prisoner  ai  the 
bar  was  the  real  culprit?  "  was  asked  him. 

"  Not  until  I  had  read  in  the  newspapers  the  affidavit 
he  sent  to  the  Governor." 

"  Then  you  have  no  personal  knowledge  that  he 
stole  those  papers?  "  interrupted  the  judge. 

"  Nothing  but  that  confession  and  the  evidence  he 
gave  against  himself  in  the  lower  court." 

The  judge  asked  if  the  prosecution  had  any  other 
witnesses  they  desired  to  call  and  was  informed  that 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  31$ 

they  had  none.     The  plea  of  guilty  that  the  defendant 
.had  entered  made  it  unnecessary  to  take  up  the  time. 

Victor  then  asked  to  be  allowed  to  take  the  stand, 
where  the  oath  was  at  once  administered  to  him. 

"  May  I  state  the  facts,  in  my  own  way?  "  lie  asked, 
and  when  permission  was  given,  he  leaned  on  the  rail 
and,  to  a  breathless  and  silent  audience,  told  his  story: 

"  Your  Honor:  Three  years  ago  I  was  a  respected 
citizen  of  Stromberg,  never  dreaming  of  any  other  life 
than  that  of  an  honest  and  upright  man.  My  father 
had  been  during  his  lifetime  mayor  of  the  town.  I  had 
received  a  good  education  and  had,  I  may  say  without 
boasting,  as  many  friends  as  the  average  young  man. 
Richard  A.  Morse  held  in  trust  for  me  property  to  the 
amount  of  about  $40,000,  which,  by  the  provisions  of 
my  mother's  will,  he  was  to  retain  till  I  was  thirty  years 
of  age,  payang  me  in  the  meantime  only  the  income. 
I  became  possessed  with  a  conviction  (I  state  it  now 
with  shame  and  regret,  for  I  know  it  was  wholly  un- 
warranted) that  he  meant  to  embezzle  this  property 
and  that  When  the  time  came  it  was  payable  to  me  he 
would  not  hand  it  over.  This  impression  grew  in  my 
brain  until  it  became  a  mania.  I  believed  I  was  likely 
to  be  swindled  of  all  I  owned  and  tried  to  invent  some 
means  of  outJmtting  the  man  I  thought  meant  to  do  me 
wrong. 

"  An  appeal  to  the  court  having  jurisdiction  was 
contemplated,  but  the  idea  was,  on  consultation  with 
an  able  attorney,  dismissed  as  impracticable.  Mr. 
Morse  had  never  been  an  hour  behind  in  his  payments. 
I  had  nothing  to  offer  as  a  reason  why  he  should  be 


3l6  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

supplanted  in  his  position  as  trustee  but  a  strong  Im- 
pression. At  last  I  resolved  to  leave  this  part  of  the 
country  and  go  to  some  place  where  I  could  work  out 
my  fortune,  the  one  my  mother  had  left  me  seeming-  to 
my  disordered  brain  already  lost. 

"  Two  days  before  I  was  ready  to  leave  I  went  with1 
a  friend  to  Mr.  Morse's  office  and  was  allowed  to  in- 
spect the  securities  in  which  he  had  invested  my  prop- 
erty. I  noticed  that  they  were  kept  carefully  arranged 
and  filed,  in  a  wrapper  of  light  brown  paper,  tied  with 
narrow  blue  tape.  The  idea  seized  me  of  preparing  a 
package  exactly  similar  in  appearance  and  bringing  it 
on  a  subsequent  visit  to  substitute  for  the  original 
package.  I  procured  some  sheets  of  white  paper,  some 
wrapping  like  the  one  I  had  seen,  and  some  tape 
of  the  same  description,  and  went  to  Mr.  Morse's  office 
with  the  false  package  in  an  inside  pocket.  Being  al- 
lowed freely  to  inspect  the  bonds  again  I  succeeded  in 
putting  them  inside  my  overcoat  and  leaving  the  false 
package  in  their  place.  When  I  left  Stromberg  at 
noon  on  that  day  I  carried  away  the  bonds.  I  sup-, 
posed  no  further  harm  would  result  than  a  little  annoy- 
ance to  the  trustee,  whom  I  intended  to  inform  of  my 
trick  when  his  trusteeship  should  expire. 

"  Last  summer  it  came  to  my  knowledge  that  Paul 
Gardner,  alias  Herbert  Brown,  had  been  arrested,  tried 
and  imprisoned  for  the  supposed  theft  of  tfhese  bonds, 
and  had  escaped  from  custody.  I  learned  also  that 
Mr.  Morse  was  doing  his  best  to  procure  the  rearrest 
of  Gardner  and  that  my  wild  act  had  caused  and  was 
likelv  to  cause  still  more  pain  and  suffering  to  wholly 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  317 

innocent  people.  My  first  thought  was  to  invent  some 
way  by  which  I  could  restore  the  stolen  property  to  the 
trustee,  in  whose  honesty  I  had  then  come  to  have  im- 
plicit confidence,  without  compromising  myself.  But 
at  last  I  saw  that  my  duty  involved  more  than  that, 
and  that  the  only  way  I  could  wholly  right  the  injured 
was  to  make  a  full  confession  of  my  guilt. 

"  At  the  instant  I  was  about  to  do>  this,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  Mr.  Morse,  of  my  partner,  Mr.  Whiteley,  and 
of  Mr.  Keith,  Paul — actuated  by  a  nobility  of  soul 
which  I  can  only  think  of  with  wonder  and  admiration 
— 'tried  bo  save  me  by  taking  my  offence  on  himself,  in 
return  for  some,  slight  assistance  I  had  been  enabled  to 
render  his  family.  I  at  once  came  here  from  Califor- 
nia and  placed  the  true  statement  of  the  case  before  the 
Governor,  which  resulted  in  his  speedy  pardon.  Then 
I  surrendered  myself  to  the  authorities.  I  am  here, 
ready  to  accept  whatever  penalty  your  Honor  sees  fit 
to  impose. 

"  In  stating  my  case  to  you,  if  I  have  seemed  to  offer 
anything  in  mitigation  of  my  act,  I  beg  you  to  dis- 
charge that  from  your  mind.  I  ask  no  mercy,  for  I 
deserve  none." 

Elsie  Gardner  was  sobbing  softly  under  a  thick  veil 
she  wore,  but  to  her  sister's  whisper  that  there  was  still 
hope  she  replied,  "  It  is  not  that,  Mannie!  I  would  not 
change  a  word  he  has  uttered." 

The  prosecuting  attorney  rose  to  his  feet  when  the 
prisoner  had  returned  to  the  dock  and  said  with  ill- 
concealed  emotion  that  he  had  no  remarks  to  make. 
There  was  a.  silence  more  oppressive  than  ever  wb«i» 


318  STRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 

the  judge  announced  that  he  would  postpone  sentence 
until  the  morrow. 

As  Mr.  Hall  came  out  of  the  dock  a  hundred  hands 
were  stretched  to  grasp  his,  but  he  declined  them  all, 
with  a  shake  of  his  head  and  a  smile,  till  a  little  figure, 
leaning  on  the  arm  of  Paul  Gardner,  pressed  against 
him.  Lifting  her  veil  Elsie  showed  him  her  tear-stained 
face  an  instant;  and  then,  before  all  the  crowd,  she 
stood  on  tiptoe  and  kissed  the  man! 

The  judge,  who  had  stayed  in  his  chair,  turned  his 
face  away  to  hide  the  moisture  in  his  eyes.  Several  of 
the  sheriff's  assistants  hemmed  to  clear  obstructions  in 
their  throats.  Everybody  in  sight  of  the  episode  was 
affected. 

"  They  named  you  right  when  they  called  you  Vic- 
tor," said  the  girl,  bravely.  "  I  never  was  so  proud  of 
you  as  now! " 

The  officers  led  him  away  and  the  courtroom  was 
slowly  emptied  of  the  lingering  throng. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  319 


CHAPTER   XXXV 

A  CHANGE  OF  VENUE. 

AND  now,  my  dear  readers,  for  a  little  confidential 
talk.  When  I  say  that  the  judge,  on  the  reassembiing 
of  his  court  the  next  day,  sentenced  Mr.  Hall  to  the 
minimum  imprisonment  which  his  plea  of  guilty  al- 
lowed— that  of  one  year  at  Joliet — you  are  not  going 
to  believe  that  "  our  hero  "  served  the  whole  time, 
Novels  are  not  written  in  that  way  as  a  rule,  and  after 
all  this  is  a  novel  and  not  a  true  history.  So  I  may 
as  well  admit  right  here  that  the  Governor  pardoned 
him  and  that  he  (Victor,  and  I  hope  the  Governor 
also)  expects  to  "  live  happy  ever  after." 

There  are  other  characters  in  this  story  to  whom  a 
few  words  must  be  devoted.  Let  us  begin  then,  with 
Richard  Morse.  Stromberg  has  gone  to  the  opposite 
extreme  from  its  old  attitude  toward  the  insurance 
man,  since  Mr.  Hall  was  released  from  confinement 
with  his  sanction.  The  people  have  come  to  realize 
that  he  has  merely  shown  unbending  adherence  to 
duty.  They  know  that  even  now  he  would  oppose 
any  attempt,  should  one  be  made  (and  none  will  be) 
to  terminate  his  trusteeship  of  the  Martha  Hall  estate, 
one  hour  before  the  time  stipulated  in  'that  lady's  will; 
and  that  he  is  probity  personified,  with  determination 


32O  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

of  the  highest  kind  behind  it  all.  All  Strombei  g-  real- 
izes that  no  more  upright  citizen  dwells  within  its  bor- 
ders. 

His  fellow  townsmen  are  transferring  all  their  in- 
surance to  him,  as  fast  as  it  matures,  and  his  only  rival 
in  the  local  business  has  been  obliged  to  give  up  his 
office.  Not  only  this,  but  five  widows  and  six  maiden 
ladies  have  executed  wills  appointing  him  their  execu- 
tor and  trustee,  and  three  have  been  so  obliging  as  to 
die,  leaving  large  estates  to  his  care.  "  As  honest  as 
Dick  Morse  "  has  passed  into  a  proverb.  But  he 
goes  on  in  the  even  tenor  of  his  way,  as  unspoiled  by 
adulation  as  he  was  uninfluenced  by  criticism  when 
he  knew  he  was  right. 

Marian  is  happy  in  her  married  life.  She  loved 
her  husband  all  the  time  and  now  she  adores  him. 
She  does  not  regret  his  great  tribulation,  since  he 
came  out  with  honor  untarnished.  Her  brother  Paul 
is  studying  law  with  Mr.  Hall,  who  has  established 
himself  again  at  Olluma.  W'hiteley  had  the  bad  luck 
to  lose  his  fortune  in  speculation  and  has  quit  the  town 
in  disgust.  His  half  of  the  gold  mine  was  bought  by 
Mr.  Hall,  and  is  now  managed,  together  with  the  half 
that  was  made  over  to  the  Gardners  (and  which  no 
persuasion  will  induce  Victor  to  take  back)  to  the  great 
profit  of  all  concerned.  Indeed,  as  every  reader  will 
be  glad  to  hear,  they  are  growing  wealthy  out  of  the 
proceeds. 

Mr.  Sewall  continues  to  live  the  same  unselfish  life 
as  of  yore,  giving  aid  and  counsel  to  all  who  need  it 
for  miles  around.  It  is  not  believed  he  will  ever  ask 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  321 

another  woman  to  be  his  wife,  but  he  finds  compen- 
sation in  the  happiness  he  brings  to  tired  and  desolate 
souls. 

Jakey  is  a  strong,  fine  lad,  whose  chief  regret  during 
the  past  year  has  been  that  he  was  not  old  enough  to 
enlist  in  the  army.  His  opinion  of  "  gals  "  is  still 
contemptuous,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  he  has 
two  of  the  loveliest  sisters  in  the  world,  and  he  an- 
nounces solemnly  that  he  shall  always  remain  (he  is 
now  fifteen)  a  bachelor.  If  he  thinks  one  man  on 
earth  superior  to  all  others  it  is  Mr.  Hall.  He  came 
home  one  day  looking  like  a  hospital  patient  from 
Luzon,  on  account  of  an  altercation  with  a  lad  con- 
siderably bigger,  who  had  "  sassed  him  "  by  saying 
that  two  of  his  friends  were  "  jail-birds." 

"But  yer  oughter  see  de  odder  feller!"  he  ex- 
claimed proudly,  when  duly  decorated  with  court- 
plaster.  "Dere  ain't  enuff  o'  him  left  for  a  crowner's 
inquist! " 

Jakey  still  drops  into  his  old  style  of  speech  when 
excited,  but  usually  succeeds  in  mastering  that  disa- 
greeable habit.  He  wants  to  please  Mr.  Hall  and  the 
latter's  "  My  boy!  "  is  quite  sufficient  to  stifle  the  ten- 
dency to  slang  on  all  but  special  occasions. 

To  return  to  Victor:  As  he  passed  through  the 
doors  of  the  State  Prison,  on  the  day  «his  sentence 
went  into  effect,  he  remarked  to  the  keeper  that  he 
was  glad  it  was  the  same  penitentiary  in  which  Paul 
had  served  and  that  he  would  do  his  best  to  make  a 
good  record  there.  He  donned  without  a  murmur 
the  convict's  garb  and  went  cheerfully  about  the  labor 


322  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

to  which  he  was  assigned.  He  was  at  last  where  he 
fully  believed  that  Justice  required  him  to  be. 

A  sad  .party  of  his  friends  went  the  next  week  to 
have  an  interview  with  the  Governor,  who  had  no 
hesitation  in  assuring  them  that  he  thought  further 
punishment  could  serve  no  useful  purpose  and  that  he 
was  ready  to  issue  a  pardon  whenever  the  prisoner 
would  apply  for  it.  Elsie  attracted  His  Excellency's 
attention  especially,  he  having  been  made  aware  of  the 
broken  romance  in  which  the  girl  figured.  The  sec- 
ond great  Tanner  of  Illinois  called  'her  to  his  side  and 
questioned  her  closely. 

"  It  is  customary  to  ask  some  one  to  be  responsible 
for  a  convict  who  is  released  before  his  time,"  he  said, 
gravely. 

"  Ah,  sir!  It  was  the  one  error  of  an  upright  life," 
she  answered.  "  You  are  quite  safe  not  to  demand 
that  in  this  case." 

"  I  do  not  like  to  break  'the  rule.  If  you  have  such 
confidence  in  him,  my  child,  you  ought  to  be  willing 
personally  to  furnish  his  guaranty." 

"I?"  she  cried.  "Would  you  take  me  for  se- 
curity? " 

"  Who  could  be  better?  Unless  I  am  much  mis- 
taken, too,  he  would  prefer  your  guardianship  to  that 
of  any  one  else." 

She  dropped  her  eyes  in  confusion  at  the  unmis- 
takeable  meaning  of  the  words. 

"  If  Mr.  Hall  wishes  you  to  take  charge  of  him,  you 
will  not  refuse?  "  he  persisted. 

*  No,  sir;  not  if  he  wishes  it,"  she  whispered  softly.    , 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  323 

There  was  a  light  in  the  eyes  she  raised  to  the  official 
that  told  him  how  gladly  she  would  accept  such  a 
trust. 

"  Then  it  is  settled,"  said  the  Governor,  kindly.  "  Go 
to  Joliet,  tell  Mr.  Hall  the  conditions  under  which  I 
will  grant  his  pardon,  and  see  what  he  says." 

All  agreed,  after  consultation,  that  it  would  be  sheer 
folly  to  move  in  the  matter  yet.  Victor's  frame  of 
mind  demanded  at  least  a  short  term  in  his  present 
location.  To  begin  now  might  defeat  the  scheme  en- 
tirely. So  the  Gardners  went  back  to  Chicago,  where 
they  waited  for  the  slow  days  to  pass,  all  but  Jakey, 
who  plunged  with  delight  into  the  gaieties  of  the 
city,  as  represented  by  variety  shows  and  soda  foun- 
tains. When  a  month  had  gone  by  they  began  their 
campaign. 

The  first  thing  was  a.  letter  from  Mr.  Morse.  He 
related  what  was  entirely  true  at  the  time,  that  his 
business  was  suffering  from  the  public  impression  that 
he  could  have  mitigated  the  penalty  of  the  imprisoned 
'man.  He  asked  if  Victor  wished  to  still  further  in- 
,  jure  him.  If  he  continued  as  he  had  begun  he 
(Morse)  might  as  well  close  up  his  office  and  remove 
to  some  new  locality.  The  townspeople  blamed  him 
for  the  sentence  of  the  judge  and  were  not  disposed  to 
listen  to  explanations. 

Mr.  Hall  read  this  letter  with  deep  sorrow  and  re- 
plied that  he  regretted  the  state  of  affairs  exceedingly. 
But  instead  of  intimating  that  he  would  apply  for  a 
release  he  renewed  his  request  that  Morse  accept  the 


324  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION/ 

$40,000  he  held  in  trust,  or  at  least  the  income  of  it, 
as  a  partial  recompense  for  his  pecuniary  loss. 

On  hearing  of  the  failure  of  this  plan  Paul  tried 
his  hand,  using  a  more  peremptory  tone: 

"  It  should  occur  to  you,"  he  wrote,  "  that  you  are 
occupying  a  selfish  position  quite  at  variance  from 
your  usual  character.  While  enjoying  the  pleasure 
of  '  expiating  your  fault/  you  cause  others  to  suffer 
severely.  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  study  law,  but 
no  one  cares  to  take  a  young  man  but  recently  re- 
leased from  prison,  even  if  it  has  been  proved  that  he 
was  innocent  of  the  charge  against  him.  Were  you 
free  I  should  hope  to  join  you  at  Olluma  and  com- 
mence under  favorable  auspices.  You  have  uttered 
some  warm  expressions  of  sympathy  for  me.  I  shall 
see  now  how  real  was  the  sentiment  behind  them." 

This  troubled  Mr.  Hall  more  than  the  other  letter, 
but  it  did  not  convince  him.  He  wrote  to  Paul  that 
the  income  from  the  mine  was  quite  sufficient  to  sup- 
port him  for  the  present  and  that  there  must  be  open- 
ings for  a  determined  youth  in  some  of  the  newer 
sections  of  the  country.  He  intimated  further  that 
the  real  reason  for  Paul's  efforts  was  not  the  one  he 
alleged. 

There  was  nothing  left  but  to  try  Elsie's  persuasions. 
If  these  failed,  they  all  admitted  nothing  could  be 
done.  Victor  was  called  into  the  office  one  day  from 
his  work,  and  in  his  -rison  clothes  was  left  alone  with 
the  little  woman. 


STRANGER  THAN  FICTION.  325 

"  You  are  not  glad  to  *ee  me,  I  am  afraid,"  she  said, 
as  he  stood  trembling,  without  even  offering  to  touch 
her  hand. 

"  After  the  wrong  I  have  done  to  you  and  yours  I 

cannot  look  you  in  the  face." 

"  Victor,"  she  said,  after  a  pause  (she  had  never 
called  him  by  that  name  before),  "  I  have  been  talk- 
ing to  the  Governor  about  you.  He  says  if  you  are 
released  from  prison — as  we  all  want  you  to  be,  so 
much ! — it  can  only  be  conditionally.  Some  one  must 
be  responsible  for  you  and  surrender  you  to  the  au- 
thorities if  you  ever  again  break  a  law  of  the  State." 

He  turned  toward  her  with  a  gasp  and  cried,  feel- 
ingly, "  I  could  not  ask  any  human  being  to  take  such 
a  responsibility  as  that!  " 

She  leaned  toward  him  and  whispered,  "  No  one — 
not  even  me?  " 

He  drew  a  long  breath  and  again  averted  his  face 
for  an  instant.  Then  he  straightened  himself  up  and 
addressed  her. 

"  Elsie!  You  know  I  am  not  at  heart  a  bad  man! 
You  know  the  strange  events  that  led  me  into  the  de- 
vious paths  which  brought  me  to  this  prison.  If  you 
wish  to  shorten  my  term  you  can  do  it  easily!  I  ask 
you,  in  these  convict's  clothes,  in  this  disgraceful  build- 
ing where  I  am  undergoing  a  righteous  sentence — 
will  you  be  my  wife?  If  you  consent  to  marry  me — 
after  I  have  expiated  my  fault  and  can  face  mankind 
again — the  hours  will  fly  on  the  wings  of  happiness 
«nd  hope," 


326  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

The  maiden  took  a  step  nearer  and  held  out  both 
her  hands. 

"  If  I  accept  you,  Victor,"  she  said,  "  I  cannot  wait 
a  year.  If  you  want  me,  take  me  now." 

He  hesitated  still. 

"  Will  you  give  me  a  day  to  decide?  Oh,  the  temp- 
tation is  so  great!  " 

"  And  you  are  not  sure?  " 

"Yes!"  he  cried,  clasping  her  to  his  breast.  "I 
will  ask  for  my  pardon  at  once!  " 

W;hen  this  was  decided  and  a  few  more  words 
spoken  such  as  might  be  expected  in  such  circum- 
stances, Elsie  asked  if  she  might  see  the  cell  in  which 
he  had  slept.  She  hoped  this  would  be  the  last  time 
she  would  ever  be  within  the  walls  of  a  prison  and 
she  had  a  curiosity  to  inspect  the  interior.  He  called 
his  guard  and  they  went  through  the  corridor,  Elsie 
shivering  frequently  at  the  evidences  of  force  and 
strength  seen  on  every  side. 

"Did  Paul  have  to  sleep  in  a  place  like  this?"  she 
asked,  as  they  came  to  his  little  bedroom. 

"  Yes,  my  darling,  for  more  than  two  long  years. 
Do  you  think  a  few  weeks  enough  for  a  man  who 
caused  him  that  suffering?  " 

"  Oh,  you're  not  to  be  set  free,  understand,"  she  re- 
sponded, laughingly.  "  You  are  to  be  under  my 
supervision." 

"  That  is  what  I  call  '  capital  punishment/  " 

The  guard  had  orders  not  to  hurry  them.  He  dis- 
creetly walked  to  the  other  end  of  the  alley  and  left 


STRANGER  THAN   FICTION. 

thexu  quite  alone.       Sometimes  even  a  jailer  has  an 
element  of  romance  in  him. 

"  Do  you  know  you  proposed  in  the  first  letter  you 
ever  wrote  me?"  Elsie  asked,  presently.  She  drew 
a  faded  sheet  of  paper  from  her  pocket.  "  This  is 
what  you  said: 

'I  shall  be  delighted  to  place  myself  at  your  service, 
in  any  way  agreeable  to  you,  now  or  at  any  other 
time.' 

"  I  don't  see  how  anything  could  be  more  agree- 
able than  marriage,"  she  explained. 

"  But  you  had  told  me  the  day  before  that  you  never 
should  marry — that  you  had  '  seen  too  much  of  it!'  " 

She  laughed  again,  saying  he  had  a  prodigious  mem- 
ory. "  You're  not  going  to  back  out  of  the  offer 
you've  made  me  to-day,  are  you?"  she  added.  "If 
you  do,  I  shall  certainly  surrender  you  to  the  police." 

He  said  he  had  something  he  wanted  to  show  her 
and,  rummaging  in  his  trunk,  brought  out  a  package 
tied  with  ribbon,  which,  on  being  opened,  showed  the 
dried  crumbs  of  a  lunch  long  since  prepared  and  a 
yellow  sheet  of  letter  paper. 

*'  That's  what  you  gave  me  when  you  thought  me 
a  tramp." 

"And  you  didn't  think  it  good  enough  to  eat!  " 

"  I  thought  enough  of  it  to  treasure  all  these  years 
and  to  bring  with  me  to  this  lonely  cell."  Then  he 
read  aloud  the  letter  she  had  sent  with  it.  "  I  am  like 
a  girl  on  an  island,  which  ships  only  pass  once  in  a  long 


328  STRANGER  THAN  FICTION. 

time,  and  I  have  to  wave  my  handkerchief  to  the  first 
one  I  see." 

"  You're  not  the  only  '  ship '  I've  seen  since  that 
was  written,  though,"  she  interrupted. 

He  touched  her  ripe  lips  with  his  own. 

"  And  yet,  you  love  me,  sweetheart?  " 

And  yet — I  love  you! " 


TEE  END. 


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